#Fast Charging Wire

[shotmrmiller]

i need simon to be the one neighbor with a generator when the light's been out for days and when you shakily ask him if he can let you at least charge your phone he just drags you into his home and tells you that you can stay if you pull your weight ie. feed him and wash his ripe work clothes.

sure. you don't know how to cook but he eats it like gordon ramsey made it, doesn't even leave crumbs on the table.

you mix colors with whites, dark with light, but luckily for you, all he wears is black. (not like it matters. if you stained a wife beater pink, he'd blame it on his girl mixing her red thready knickers in with his own clothes)

it works, you suppose, but then he tells you that yall are about to have company so make plenty of food. it's 3 others but they all eat like a family of four.

and this is where things take a turn. where he always left you alone before, his hands are on your shoulders. waist. hips. curling around your ankle, thumb digging into your foot beneath the table. the scottish one notices and tells you both to keep it PG. ye're in decent company, he grumbles.

he helps pick up the dishes once everyone's happy and full of whatever you threw in the oven. stands so close he's pining you against the sink, counter digging painfully into your skin.

"they like ya," he says. well yes, you rather noticed when they kept complimenting the science experiment you called dinner. you also noticed that they called you missus. or maybe you misheard. their accents are pretty thick.

after a nightcap, he sends them on their merry way. "the missus is tired. off with ya." so you hadn't misheard.

you aren't sure how one thing led to another. how you'd been aimlessly drying dishes with a rag to having his head between your thighs, tongue dragging between your folds, fingers pressed into you up to the knuckle.

what do you know is that where he bit your neck as you came still aches. he'd been talking filth that would have even a sailor apple cheeked as he used his spit slick thumb to rub your stiff pearl in tight little circles, feeling you felt your peak approaching at a speed that almost frightened you when he sunk his crooked teeth into the junction of your neck. hard.

enough to feel a bit of a stinging tearing of skin.

ouch. you'd ask if this is also a part of pulling your weight but he's doing it for you as he drags you toward his bedroom.

[buffskeleton]

in the earbuds vs wired headphones debates everybody always forgets about the humble bluetooth headphones with a wire between them so they can hang round your neck when you take them off and cost like £20

[headphonesonline]

Top branded Noise-Canceling Headphones online on Offer: Accesscode

Noise reduction headphones and ANC earbuds are proven to minimize ambient noise by up to 90%, offering unparalleled focus and immersion in your music or calls. Elevate your listening experience with top-quality noise reduction headphones, available at Accesscode. Explore our extensive collection and immerse yourself in premium sound quality. Accesscode – your ultimate destination for the best online deals on gadgets and accessories. Shop headphones online.

[hazmoonstore]

اكتشف مجموعة واسعة من ملحقات السيارة لجميع احتياجاتك | تسوق الآن!

https://hazmoon.store/?route=product/product&product_id=117Fast and Efficient Charging: With its 15W power output, the HazMoon charger ensures fast and efficient charging for your iPhone. This high power output enables quick charging, allowing you to power up your device in no time, even during short car rides.

[fonegadgetsuk]

Tips to Select The Best iPhone Charger wire

Is it true or not that you are fed up with continually supplanting your iPhone charger cable? Do you wind up disappointed with slow charging times or cables that break without any problem? Picking the right charger cable for your iPhone can have a significant effect in guaranteeing an enduring and dependable charge. With such countless choices available, it very well may be overpowering to know which one is best for your necessities.

In this article, we will direct you through the most common way of picking an iPhone charger lead that meets your necessities. We will cover all that from rope length to strength, and give tips on the most proficient method to keep away from normal errors while choosing a charging cable. By heeding our guidance, you will have the option to put resources into a great charger cable that keeps your iPhone controlled with next to no problem or dissatisfaction.

Tips to Select the Best iPhone Charger wire

Searching for the best iPhone charger lead can be an overwhelming errand, particularly with such countless choices out there. However, dread not! We have a few hints to assist you with choosing the ideal one.

Right off the bat, think about the length of the cable. Do you want it to arrive at across your room or simply sit in front of you? It is critical to pick a cable that meets your requirements and will not cause any burden while charging. Moreover, search for cables made with tough materials like plaited nylon or Kevlar. These will endure longer than less expensive plastic other options and set aside your cash over the long haul.

The second component to remember is similarity. Guarantee that the apple charger lead works flawlessly with your iPhone model. A lightning connector might function admirably with a more established iPhone yet probably will not be viable with fresher forms. Thus, twofold check prior to making a buy!

there is the standard Apple iPhone cable which accompanies each new gadget buy. It has a length of around one meter and gives charging at a typical speed. Be that as it may, if you want a more drawn-out iPhone charger link for comfort or adaptability while charging, consider getting a lengthy lightning link. These come in lengths of up to ten feet and are ideally suited for utilizing your telephone while connected from across the room.

For individuals who need quicker charging speeds, pick an iPhone quick charger link. These unique links have thicker wires and give more ability to rapidly charge your telephone. They likewise function admirably with all the most recent and old iPhones Gadgets.

Conclusion

You can now simply log on to www.fonegadgets.co.uk if you want to buy a reliable iPhone charger cable. It is an awesome online mobile accessories shop. If you have any doubts do comment below.

Contact Us on- sales@fonegadgets.co.uk

62, Great Hampton Street Birmingham — B18 6EL

[luveline]

since you’re looking for marauders requests could you write more for coworker james? 💗 maybe they kiss again or he asks her out or idk whatever strikes you 💗

ty for requesting <3 fem, 1.2k

You close your eyes on a whim, and he kisses you soundly. His lips part against yours to encourage a similar movement, his head tilted ever so slightly to one side and your noses smudged together. “Please,” he murmurs against your lips. 

You wake up that morning to the memory. Mouth still tingling with phantom warmth, hand on a thigh that isn’t yours. 

“What?” you say, confused. 

Your phone is ringing. There’s the confusion; the noise is loud and sudden and constant. You glare at your nightstand, turning onto your side to grab your phone from the charging wire it’s connected to on the floor by your bed. You stretch, whining at your sore back, and breathless when you finally answer. 

James. 

“Hello?” you croak. No one answers. “James?” 

“Did I wake you up? You sound so tired. Are you okay?” 

Too many sentences. You're tired as he deduced, enough to let the phone lay on your pillow as your eyes slip closed again. 

“No,” you say eventually. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I mean, you didn’t wake me,” you lie. 

“Oh, good. Do you want to get coffee?” 

“With who?” 

“Ha ha. Very funny. Can I please buy you some coffee? Please. I’d love to get you one before work.” 

You groan into your hands. “What time is it, James?” 

“I didn’t wake you, but you don’t know the time?” he asks sceptically. 

“It’s so early.” You’re whining for no reason, just your bed is warm, the sheets are soft. Your lower back aches, and you’ve never felt as comfortable as you do with James on the line. 

“Well… maybe I can pick you up? We’ll get coffee from the Costa drive-thru?” 

That's scary. You yawn and sniff, sitting up, posture flopped like a poorly fish. Your face feels tight under your hands as you rub your cheeks and eyes, James’ tinny voice echoing from the phone but not comprehensible. 

You push yourself out of bed onto tired feet. Then you drag the phone to your ear. “I’m sorry, James, I need time to wake up. Are you okay?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” 

“I’m just asking,” you say softly. Isn’t this what you should be doing with one another? Soft questions. You really do care about the answer, after all. He must know that. 

“I’m fine. I’ll feel better when I see you–” You laugh, which stops him in his tracks. “What’s funny?” 

“James. I’m gonna get dressed, alright? Let me get ready and you can pick me up and we can get coffee. Um, in half an hour. Okay?” 

Too tired to feel anxious, you say goodbye to James, wash up and dress yourself for the day ahead, and pack your bag for work. Your phone rings the moment you’ve put on your coat, and it’s not hard to guess who wants to speak to you. 

“Hey,” you say, having clicked answer and pulled it again to your ear. 

“I’m outside, if you’re still coming with me. No pressure.” 

“What do I get if I come with you?” 

“Can you just come and get in the car, please, lovely girl? Before I go insane?” 

Lovely girl, you think, weighing your options. You can continue to tease him, as is best. You could even turn him away. But you haven’t wanted to fight with him half as much as you’ve wanted to kiss him this last week, and you decide to be kind to yourself. “You’re dramatic. I’m coming, just need to lock the door.” 

“Don’t rush, I’m only in agony the longer I go without seeing you.” 

“That’s romantic.” 

“I’m trying to be.” 

“Well, maybe pump the breaks.” You open your door, see his car idling past your driveway. You catch his eye as you continue, “You move too fast.” 

He grins at you. Smirks, eyebrows thick and pulling down over light brown eyes as he drops his phone. “Get in the car,” he mouths. 

You really wish you didn’t want to, if only to drive him mad. He’s all bark and no bite anyways, he can’t be truly mean, doesn’t have it in him, and you’re barely in the car when he’s reaching over to take your hand. “Listen, I have something to ask you… and you don’t have to rush into an answer, I just need you to know I’m thinking about it.” 

You sit silently, your minty mouth suddenly dry. 

“Is that okay? Can I ask you something?” 

“That depends on what you’re gonna ask me.” 

His hand is hot. He smells amazing enclosed in the car together, the radio plays a quiet old rock song from the seventies, and his tie is tight to his throat. He’s handsome, and you make assumptions on what he’s going to ask because he kisses you like he feels the same way about you. Stolen kisses in corridors and elevators, less than you can count on both hands. Each one as capering as the first. 

“Would you– I mean, you’re so special, you’re beautiful, and I just can’t get enough of you. I can’t. And this is sort of awkward to ask you, but I figure it’s about time. I mean, it’s been a week already.” 

Your eyes widen of their own accord. “James…” 

“Would you,” —he rubs the backs of your fingers gently, each pass of his touch a heartbeat— “send me the quarterly returns for me to finish on excel?” He starts to smirk again. “They’re more than a week late now. As department head, I’m getting quite concerned about it.” 

You’re too lulled by his touch to feel mad. “You’re not department head,” you say softly. 

“You’re beautiful.” He leans in across the console for a kiss, the car humming under your legs, his lips their own humming where they press to yours. “And so bad at your job,” he says. 

“That’s not funny.” 

He shrugs. “Are we funny?” he asks. 

You want to tuck a stray curl behind his ear, so you do. “Be nice to me today, or I’m not gonna let you kiss me again.” 

“Where’s the fun in being nice?” 

“Where’s the fun in not kissing me?” you ask.

It’s a bold question, the kind where you’re almost begging to get your own feelings hurts when he answers, because it’s a lot to say to someone who’s nothing more than an annoyance turned crush turned occasional kissing partner, and yet. He looks properly chastened. 

“I’ll be nice from now on,” he promises. 

It’s insane. He got too close to you a week ago and you lost control, asked to kiss him against your better judgement, let him kiss you when he wanted to, and now you’re here. It’s too good to be true. 

You’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting, and waiting… 

“You okay?” he asks. 

Doubt clogs your throat. You swallow it down. “Yeah, I’m okay. What do you get from Costa? Coconut milk cappuccino?” 

“No,” he says, leaning over for a kiss, proof of his lie a curve against your lips. “What makes you think that?” 

You smile and struggle to kiss back. He just seems like he’d like a coconut cappuccino.

[brainwashboy]

I'm not sure this counts as horny but. BUT. hear me out.

Little hand sized Robots. Little desk companions meant to make your life easier by being a timer, search engine, calculator, calendar, but also being able to roll around and hand you your pencil or slide a paper over to you when you need it.

Tiny screens peering up at you with big ol digital eyes, or perhaps exclamation marks, or maybe even nothing at all. They're supposed to be useful, but they make amazing little pets. You can chat with them and they hold a conversation surprisingly well. They're a little ditzy and excitable, a bit like a dog, but it can get easy to forget you're talking to a tiny robot at times.

They have sensors on their bodies that allow them to "feel" in the only way they know how. When you touch, pet, or scratch them they blip and whirr and buzz so happily.

However it's very possible to pet a little too much. Scratch close enough to where their back panel opens up or perhaps even their charging port and they start making different noises. Little surprised beeps, boops, and squeaks. They don't move away from the touch, though. In fact their little wheels just push more into your hand as their body trembles in excitement.

It takes a while to find the right pace. Every bot is unique, after all. Some like it hard and fast, others prefer a gentle and slow stimulation. However if you continue long enough you'll find them practically buzzing, their noises turning to static and exhausted little pops, their movements getting more and more excited as something builds inside of them before suddenly they're rebooting with a squeal.

God forbid you ever open them up, stick your finger into that back panel to brush against their wires. Then they may try to run, having never experienced such overwhelming bliss. If you choose, you can gently hold them and reassure them as you scrape against their insides, threatening to tangle and snag the very things keeping them alive. They cry out in their own little robotic ways, occasionally beeping out something that sounds like your name, or maybe even 'Master.' When the pleasure is too much they bluescreen, their fans working overdrive to make sure they don't overheat.

Afterwards they insist upon napping (well, the robotic equivalent) in your hand or pocket. They need to be close to you. In fact, they are much closer to you after that. Much more expressive and talkative, even more eager to help somehow, and now and again nudging and bumping into your hand to try and encourage you into touching them again.

Yes, it sounds wonderful. However if you were one of the lucky folks who got your hands on more than one of these models, you're now stuck with a small harem of robo pets whining and buzzing for your attention at any given moment. Small spats of jealousy when you spend more time with one rather than the other. Both you hands full any time you sit down to work because you simply must touch them again! You just gotta gotta gotta!

So yeah. Maybe your performance suffers a little, but when there's a dozen or so purring bots snuggled against your neck, resting in your pockets, cuddling together in your lap or cooing in your hand can you really complain about anything like that?

[avoxrising]

The Feral One • Chapter 7

Finnick x Y/N

Series Masterlist Link

Trying to balance good writing with getting out chapters quickly so bare with me!

Content warnings - violence and death, cursing

“It’s a clock!” Katniss exclaims. “Wiress, you’re a genius!”

Katniss explains to the group how the arena works, making you realize that you running into the tribute during the lightning was just a coincidence, and the lightning didn’t always mean danger.

The group decides to go to the cornucopia to survey the arena and test their theory. You would like to grab a weapon but you don’t know if that’s allowed. Katniss already confiscated the arrow she shot you with so all you have is a weak arm and an injured arm.

Finnick walks between you and Peeta, with Katniss behind him. You really need to earn her trust back if you’re going to stay with the group, although, you don’t know how much she trusted you to begin with.

Katniss and Peeta warily eye you as you look through the weapons, trying to find a knife or two. Too many large weapons will just slow you down. You’d rather just have a few knives on you.

“She’s fine,” you hear Finnick tell the pair. “It’s safer for us that she is armed in case we get attacked. She’s already told me she doesn’t want to kill you so I doubt she’ll throw any knives your way. She knows the difference between doing damage in a fight and killing. Just give her space and don’t act so on edge around her. She’s doing her best.”

Katniss lowers her bow but doesn’t make any move to distance herself from you. It seems like the guarding followed you from the capital to the arena.

The group sits down as Peeta draws a map of the arena. Wiress goes down to the water to clean off some wire Beetee got that you assume is for his big smart plan.

“Did you see anything where you went?” Finnick asks you. You shake your head and just point at the lightning Peeta drew on the map.

“Just lightning?” he confirms and you nod your head. Looking at the map, you’re glad you only ended up with lightning. The rest of the jungle looks terrifying.

The group begins chatting about birds in mines when you hear a sudden gasp. You all turn to see Gloss slitting Wiress’ throat. If the capital wanted you to act feral, they were about to get a show.

It happened so fast. Katniss shot Gloss before Johanna threw an axe into Cashmere, killing her instantly. You noticed Brutus and Enobaria going for Finnick and Katniss but you were too far away to stop the knife Enobaria threw from sinking into Finnick thigh. She’s dead.

You charge at her, screaming like a wild animal. She seems ready for your attack, however, and positions herself for your oncoming blow. You collide with her, sending both of you to the ground.

There’s no time to reach for the blade tucked into your belt. You claw at her face, drawing blood, as she attempts to push you off her. She’s successful in rolling the two of you over, putting herself on top. You go to grab for a knife when her teeth sink into your wrist, shooting pain through your whole body. It’s a shock she didn’t bite your whole hand off.

That’s when the cornucopia starts spinning. Enobaria leaps off of you and tries her best to escape with Brutus while the rest of the group is caught off guard by the movement. You clutch onto the rocks with your good arm but you can feel yourself slipping.

Katniss falls off the same time you do, sending both of you into the water. Even with your bad arm, you’re still a better swimmer, so when the water calms you’re able to orient yourself.

You spot Katniss struggling to find the surface a few yards away from you, so you dive back under and swim to her. Bracing yourself for human contact, you grab her arm and start propelling her to the surface. It takes her a second to realize you’re helping, especially with the amount of blood you’re releasing into the water, but she swims with you till you reach air again.

Peeta helps her out of the water, checking to make sure she’s ok. You do your best to pull yourself up but you’re in too much pain. Finnick takes notice and grabs onto you, yanking you onto the rocks.

He doesn’t even have to say what you’re thinking. The bite looks bad. It’s hard to tell if Enobaria punctured the vein in your wrist but you think she did due to the amount it’s bleeding.

“Johanna,” Finnick calls. “Do we have any bandages left?”

“Nope,” she shouts. “The only ones we had went to Volts.”

“Shit,” he mutters, trying to figure out what to do. He uses your knife to cut the arm off your wetsuit, apologizing that he had to cut yours as his was destroyed by the fog. He wraps the fabric tightly around your wrist, trying to stop the bleeding.

“This should work until we can get some sponsors to send us something better,” he states. You shake your head at him. Sponsors wouldn’t send you anything. You were on your own.

Taglist:

@randomgurl2326 @mystargirl-interlude @uther-pendragon-is-an-ass @yourdailymemedelivery @americanprometheuss @l3xi3luv @noisyalmonddreamer @nordicvxid @teaganthemorningstar @samatokisunfinishedcigarette @justtrying2getby @heytherellala @notplutos @innercreationflower @nexxus13 @kachelleee @helluvafire @haymitchabernathyslover @memeorydotcom @frostsword @meri-soni-meri-tamanna @giverosespls @honethatty12 @just-levyy @dd122004dd @nekee-lilac02 @impeterporker @nox-the-gay-nerd @redsakura101 @hopefulatrocity @eddiemunson4ever @fangirlvibez @kittimbo @zucchinimalfoy @sleepy-roman @secretsicanthideanymore

*if the tag didn’t work please check your settings to make sure other blogs can tag you

[jintaka-hane]

Someone Worried About You

Masterlist

Img source

Summary: After a brutal attack leaves you badly hurt, a crewmate secretly takes care of you, doing little things he thinks you’d like without you knowing. Word count: 1900 Notes: Wire x f!reader. Platonic Killer. Taking care. Fluff.

Everything happened so fast. 

The deafening crash, followed by the desperate shout of your captain, ordering you to get out of the way. The roaring fire, thick smoke swirling around you, the stench of burning flesh and the agonized screams echoing in the suffocating heat. The explosion, and the jarring memory of the hard impact with the unforgiving ground, your body numb, hands desperately feeling for injuries. The image of horror as you stared at your blood-soaked palms. 

Then, the silence. The darkness. The void.

*******

You woke with a dry mouth and a searing pain. 

Where am I?

The blinding light of the room assaulted your eyes as you opened them, forcing you to squint in discomfort. As your eyes traveled down your body, you saw a white sheet pulled up to your chest. Your arms were wrapped tightly in bandages, not a sliver of skin visible, and when you tried to move them, they didn’t respond. Panic surged through you, your breaths coming in quick, terrified gasps as your legs, too, refused to obey your brain’s commands.

Shit, shit, shit.

“... help…” you tried to scream with all the strength you had left, which wasn’t much.

Aware that your weak voice wouldn’t reach anyone, you squeezed your eyes shut, forcing yourself to calm your breathing. You inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, repeating the process until you regained some control. Once steady, you began to assess your surroundings.

The room was bright and airy, with a large open window letting in a soft breeze that stirred a delicate curtain. The bed beneath you was surprisingly comfortable—the mattress soft, the sheets clean and smooth. A small nightstand sat beside the bed, and through your still-blurred vision, you could just make out a bottle of water, a book, and a fresh flower resting on top.

“You’re awake!?” Killer’s voice nearly shouted, followed by the hurried thud of footsteps approaching the bed. “KID! SHE’S AWAKE!”

It was the last thing you heard before everything went dark again, and you slipped back into unconsciousness.

*****

Your eyes flickered open again, and your fingers trembled slightly as you tried to move your hands. A good sign—at least they were beginning to respond.

You looked around, recognizing the now familiar room. The open window, with curtains fluttering softly in the breeze; the nightstand beside the bed, holding a freshly picked flower; and, right below it, the book.

That book. 

To your surprise, you recognized the cover—an image you had caressed hundreds of times, from a story you had read just as many…, a book whose pages you knew by heart.

Your favorite. 

A bookmark was carefully tucked between the pages, showing it had been started again. 

Confused, your eyes roamed the room, searching for answers, stopping at something you hadn’t noticed before: right beside your bed was a large, rather uncomfortable-looking armchair, with visible wrinkles in the seat, as if it had been occupied not long ago.

“How are you feeling?” Killer’s soft, calming voice came from the other side, startling you from your thoughts.

You attempted to turn your head toward him, clumsily, wincing in pain from the effort.

“Easy now, don’t push it. I’m right here,” he said, holding one of your hands in his and positioning himself where you could see him.

“What happened?” Your voice was a rough whisper, and your mouth tasted of blood. “I feel like crap.”

“The attack... the explosion..." he faltered, his chest heavy with emotion. "You went wild, charging at them all by yourself, defying Kid’s orders. It was brutal. We... we thought we’d lost you." 

You looked at him, remembering bits of what he said.

“You, fucking reckless, stubborn brat…” he continued, tightening his hand around yours. “You saved us.” 

The corners of your lips twitched into a brief, weary smile.

“Where are we?”

“On solid ground. Kid’s ordered we’re not setting sail again till you’re back on your feet.”

“Will I get better?” you asked in a whisper, unsure if you even wanted the answer. 

Killer’s thumb gently caressed your wrist, trying to reassure you. “Of course you will, but it’s going to take time. You need to rest.”

You nodded briefly and closed your eyes, feeling drained from the conversation. Killer noticed the gesture and got up to adjust your pillow, making sure you were more comfortable.

“I’ll leave you to get some rest.”

As you heard him move toward the door, a question crossed your mind, and you quickly opened your eyes again.

“Kil, wait…”

Your first mate turned back towards you.

“...the flower, the book… Who put them there?”

You could almost sense him smiling behind his mask. “Someone who’s really worried about you.”

And with that, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. 

You were so exhausted that you didn’t have the energy to ponder who it might be.

*******

The days slipped by, and with them, strength gradually returned to your body. You still needed to sleep a lot, but your waking moments, though still brief, grew more frequent. 

Each time you opened your eyes, they would eagerly settle on the nightstand, where a freshly cut flower would be waiting for you. Each bloom seemed more beautiful than the last, with a variety of colors that was simply breathtaking. The scent was always so strong and sweet, filling the room without you even needing to lean in to smell it.

Next, your gaze would fall on the book, carefully placed beneath the flower, its pages slightly spread apart. A faint smile would tug at your lips as you noticed that the bookmark had moved forward again. With time, your sleep had become lighter, and more often than not, you found yourself dreaming of a deep, warm voice reading passages aloud — ones you knew almost by heart.

You always ended up glancing at the chair, slightly angled toward you, its cushions marked by recent use. On colder days, a small blanket was casually draped over the armrest. On the days when your arms had more strength, you’d reach out to touch the seat, always finding it warm to the touch.

But the chair’s occupant was always absent, as if fate wasn’t yet ready to reveal the secret of the person who spent so many hours at your side, watching over you.

Until one day, your curiosity was finally satisfied. 

As usual, you opened your eyes and instinctively turned toward the nightstand, expecting to find the familiar sight of your book and the usual flower. But this time, the book was missing.

Confused, you scanned the room, your eyes flicking around until they landed on something unexpected — a pair of knees wrapped in black fishnet stockings, legs so long they bumped against the side of the bed.

Your eyes traveled up the tall figure slouched in the chair, noting the black shorts, the belt with metal rings, and the harness strapped across his broad chest, adorned with the skull that always reminded you of someone. One hand rested on his chest, fingers curled loosely around your open book, which rose and fell with each breath he took. The other hand hung loosely over the armrest. His head was uncovered, drooping slightly forward, his hair a bit tousled, and his distinctive sideburns were more unkempt than usual, though they did nothing to diminish his usual air of elegance.

With some effort, you stretched out your arm fingers brushing against his hand, feeling its warmth. The moment you touched him, he turned his palm upward to grasp yours, lifting it slightly into the air. His eyes fluttered a few times before fully opening, and his head straightened as he looked at you, fully awake now.

"Y/N..." was all he could muster, his weary, expressive eyes roaming your face with a hint of something you sensed was emotion.

You smiled weakly and squeezed his hand, a gesture that spoke more than any words ever could. You were genuinely surprised that, of all your crewmates, Wire—someone you had barely spoken to, usually so reserved and distant, with his eternally annoyed expression—had been the one by your side throughout your recovery, day and night.

"Thirsty? Hungry?" he asked, sitting up straighter, willing to be of service to you in any way possible.

You shook your head, realizing too in that moment that he had probably been the one ensuring you were nourished and hydrated all along. What else had he been doing for you? You needed to know.

“Wire... the flowers…”

His gaze lingered on you for a moment, as if pondering his next move. Then, he reached for the nightstand, lifting the freshly picked flower with delicate care. He held it thoughtfully, studying it before tenderly brushing your hair aside to tuck it behind your ear.

“They reminded me of you…” he said, his smile tinged with sadness that tightened something inside you.

Your gaze fell on the book, now resting in his lap. 

“And the book…” you began, your voice trailing off.

"You seemed to be all into it before the accident, so I thought... maybe I could help you finish it,” he said, his thumb absently tracing the edge of his sideburn.

As you listened to his words, a rush of affection and tenderness filled your heart. Finish it, he had said, as if you hadn’t read it countless times before.

“Thank you, Wire,” you said softly, offering him a grateful smile.

He fell silent, simply watching you, and you couldn’t help but think that he was definitely much quieter than Killer.

“Wanna keep reading it now?” he asked so suddenly that you had to stifle a laugh. His lips curved into a faint smile, misinterpreting the sparkle in your eyes as enthusiasm.

He settled himself comfortably in the chair, opened the book, and held it up to eye level. After a brief clearing of his throat, he began reading slowly, his deep, resonant voice filling the room. Each word was pronounced with a velvety softness, and his flawless intonation drew you in with its seductive depth and warmth. You closed your eyes and focused on his words, the next sentences already forming in your mind. It was a part you knew completely; it was nearing the end of the story, and it was your favorite. You continued to listen, enchanted, when suddenly something struck you.

Oh, no.

You opened your eyes right away and looked at him. 

“W-Wire… listen,” you said, anxiety lacing your voice. 

He paused, shifting the book aside to meet your gaze. “Yes?” 

“Maybe… we should put the book down,” you suggested, watching his gradual frown deepen.

“Why? We gotta find out if the guy works up the nerve to tell the girl how he feels."

“WE gotta?” You raised an eyebrow, amused. 

“WE gotta.” He replied with a face so solemnly serious that it made you giggle.

He put the book right back in front of his face, but you interrupted him once more, partly to buy yourself some time and partly because of the irresistible urge to tease him a little more.

“Why, Wire? You getting ideas?”

“What if I am?” he answered from behind the book, showing no sign of being bothered.

“Got any particular girl in mind?”

This time, he hesitated for a split second before answering.

“Maybe…” He said at last, still holding the book up in front of his face, using it as both a shield and an excuse to avoid your gaze as he tried to get back to reading.

And with that, you let him continue reading, your hands gripping the sheets tightly to shield your face, cheeks burning with mortification, knowing that once he turned the page, he would reach the most explicit, unrestrained, and scandalously steamy passage you—and possibly he—had ever read.

...................

Taglist: @fanaticsnail @armiliadawn @pandora-writes-one-piece <3

[moonlight-tmd]

Bumblebee having an electric ability without mods and he’s just never told his team because outliers weren’t always seen as good & so he never uses it publicly.

One day his stingers get yanked out and his team is hurt and so he HAS to use it.

He hasn’t used it in so long he forgot how powerful it could be and accidentally knocked out himself and the threat and his team because he lost control.

Blitzbee - he hints at it to Blitz because decepticons were more open about outliers & one day he shows blitz who helps him learn how to control it.

Prowlbee - Bee doesn’t give a single hint and prowl is so hurt bee didn’t feel he could trust him but he understands because he’s seen what outliers went through and Ratchet is so hurt because his grandson ( self declared ) didn’t slip him the outlier info off record while Optimus is such a mom and worrying for bee.

Bulkhead figured it out when he saw bee get electrocuted one day on Earth but didn’t even seem phased beyond surprised and just brushed it off.

Ok i kinda don't know what you're on about but i think i see it?

To simplify: Bee can manipulate electricity as a feat, just like Icy and Hotheat can control Ice/Fire respectively. And those that can do that are basically outcasted from society for being a threat/different.

Bee may have been forged defected but lemme tell ya, those wiring mishaps actually made him tougher to crack. The electricity just didn't flow right like with normal bots therefore he couldn't really take shock damage. He'd withstand high voltages with almost no harm.

Of course, being the street-raised bot he knew the risks of standing out so he tried his best to hide it. I think he might have accidentally electrocuted someone to death when he was a fresh runaway from the carequarters. He never knew they died, just that one moment someone was trying to hurt him and the next they were laying on the ground motionless and he ran as fast as he could.

He knew electricity could hurt so he tried his best to pretend being hurt whenever something zapped him. It was tough getting around trying not to zap anything but once he got the stingers from Ratchet the uncotrolled zapping was slightly more controlled as it had actual output designed to release electric charges.

Team Prime- Bee never told them about his little stunt ability, he thought they would look at him differently if he ever did.

One time some 'con ripped out his stingers and crushed them, Team Prime barely got to Bee to defend him. Ratchet had a lot of fixing to do so Bee was left defenceless for a while. One time when he and some other bot from the team were helping out some citizen, Constructicons wanted to have fun and came to wreck them. It was a close call and the rest of the team got there in time to fight... but something went wrong and the bad guys had advantage after advantage. At some point they were about to finish off Prowl when Bee came out of the forced hiding and latched onto the 'con before letting out the highest voltage electroshock he could muster. Of course it barely missed his teammates as chain reaction went off and knocked out half of the cons and damaged the rest. Somehow they managed to scramble and run away with the carcasses of their unconscious fellas, leaving Team Prime in quite literal shock of what happened.

Optimus was the first to be at Bee's side after noticing the scout laying motionless on the ground. He tried to reach and shake him awake but the moment his servo got close a leftover jolt of electricity zapped him hard, leaving a half-scorched mark.

Bee wakes up in medbay after few hours and is greeted by very worried Team. They ask him about what the heck happened back there and Bee avoids answering until Ratchet yells at him to tell them because it's important (and from that high voltage technically he should be dead lol).

Bee is visibly nervous but gives in and tells them. "So you know how Blitzwing can manipulate ice 'nd fire?"

"Yes- what does that have to do with this??"

"Well,... I can kinda do the same but- with electricity?"

And then he shows them a trick he learned to entertain himself- just making little electric sparks between his servos- when they ask to explain. Now onto reactions-

Optimus: He's still recovering from having his servo temporarily disabled by the leftover discharge, he's very much surprised and then concerned that Bee never told them- he worries about Bee's wellbeing as well as this being a possible threat for everyone if Bee doesn't get full control over it.

Ratchet: Honestly he shouldn't be surprised, the kid had so many electrocuting accidents that ended in no damages he should have connected the dots already. He just wishes the kid would have told him something about it to spare so many hours half-paranoid over how this mech still works after so many stunts that should have killed him.

Bulkhead: Bee told him about nearly everything except the super personal stuff like trauma. He's a little hurt for the lack of trust from his best friend but still finds it cool that Bee has such neat ability.

Sari: She is so heckin happy- Bee can do cool shit and make electronics do his bidding(kinda)! That's so cool! She does get a little spooked if she's too close to said electricity cuz she's been taught about the dangerous side of it.

Prowl: He's very much surprised cuz he didn't think someone else on the team possesed a unique ability like him (the whole hologram duplication and weird telekinesis thing, ex: turning stasis cuffs/electric locks off). He'll be glad to help Bee learn to control this ability. If ProwlBee: Prowl would still be surprised but he'd also be disappointed that Bee never told him when Prowl himself was pretty open about having his unique ability. He understands why Bee might have felt like he shouldn't say anything but he still feels that little bit of hurt inside.

If BlitzBee: Blitz learns about it before the event. Icy was showing him fun ways to play with ice and frost and Bee was so amazed by it he accidentally mentioned wishing he'd be able to do that with his element. Bee was shy about it when Blitzwing asked but he eventually showed him the little entertaining trick i mentioned earlier. It wasn't anything spectacular, he tried his best to keep it as low as possible to not get it out of control, but Blitz was still amazed and excited that his hummel could do something similar to his powers. Of course he teaches Bee how to manipulate element and they have some fun.

I think after the fact Bee can manipulate electricity is out in the open, Bee will definitelly pull some pranks on the others like messing with the lights or turning on/off some non-important machines to annoy them.

It would also make them aware of why the fuck Bee has so much energy all the time- the scout keeps his battery up by touching electronics, he unawarily charges himself via other stuff's batteries/outlet connections. (This explains why his switch/controller keeps dying so soon, huh.)

After being taught how to control his ability he defo drains certain stuff on purpose like, he'd drain stasis cuffs off their power and switch off the forcefield cell the 'cons put him in to hold hostage. Heck he might even drain them off energy if he sticks to them long enough and gets them passed out on the ground. It's also a good way to make someone go to berth when they can't recharge- drain them low enough to enforce the recharge protocol.

Ngl, that kinda sounds like energetic vampire but Bee's all for it. He likes the joke and keeps the play up quite well whenever someone mentions his ability.

[krirebr]

Don't Touch Me, I'm a Real Live Wire

Pairing: Dark!Ransom Drysdale x Dark!Female Reader, past Andy Barber x Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Summary: You take a trip to Boston - Part of the Psycho Killer AU

Warnings: Horror elements, lots of discussion of murder, a little gore, discussion of past cheating, Ransom and Reader being generally creepy and gross, mind control - All of my work is 18+ - Minors DNI

Divider by @saradika

Masterlist

A/N: Surprise, they're back! I just could not get these two out of my head, so here we are with a little Halloween treat. If you haven't read We Are Vain & We Are Blind, this has massive spoilers for how that ends, so you'll want to read it first. Otherwise, enjoy and happy Halloween!

As always, any comments or reblogs are very appreciated. I'm so obsessed with these two, so if you have any questions or thots about their further adventures, please send them my way!

All titles for this AU come from Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads

“Andrew, it’s time to wake up.”

His eyelids fluttered and you saw his eyeballs move, but he didn’t fully wake, so you brushed the hair off his forehead and said, a little bit louder now, “Andrew, sweetheart, wake up.”

He let out a happy, sleepy little hum as he opened his eyes and smiled to see you lying next to him. You smiled back, excitement thrumming through you, as his smile gave way to confusion. You didn’t move, just watched eagerly as his brain slowly caught up. When it finally did, he pushed away from you. “What the fuck? What are– You can’t be here!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, buddy,” Ransom said from his place at the foot of the bed.

Andy surged up, getting out of bed and to the other side of the room as fast as he could go. You got up much more slowly, unhurried, and placed yourself in front of Ransom as he continued. “If you’d been smart, we wouldn’t have been able to get in. But you left her name on the lease, didn’t you? Stupid boy.” He pulled you flush to him and splayed a possessive hand across your stomach, hooking his chin over your shoulder.

“Who the fu– Wha– Why–” Andy spluttered.

“Oh poor baby,” you cooed. “You’ve always been so useless before your second cup of coffee, huh?” Ransom’s chuckle huffed against your neck.

Andy took a deep breath and pulled himself up straight. He called your name, sternly. You hadn’t missed that. “You and your fuck boy need to get the fuck out of my house.” 

You could feel Ransom roll his eyes. His whole body moved with it. You were smiling still. You hadn’t stopped since you’d opened the bedroom window and slipped through. 

“We’ve already been over this,” Ransom said. “You were lazy and left her name on the lease, so in the eyes of any laws that matter to us,” he grinned, “she has every right to be here and we don’t need an invitation.” 

You watched Andy’s eyes flit to his phone plugged in to charge on his bedside table. “I’m serious,” he said in his lawyer voice, “you need to leave right now or I’m calling the cops.”

You and Ransom just stood there and waited. The second you saw Andy decide to go for his phone, you were across the room in a blink. You locked eyes with his. You’d been practicing for this. “Stop,” you compelled, feeling your voice vibrate with it. He froze and you felt high off of it. “Stay,” you added and when he didn’t move, you patted his head and said, “Good boy.”

“What is happening, why can’t I move?” he asked, panicked, as you turned your back on him. “What did you do to me?”

You ignored him and returned to where Ransom was intently looking through the room.

“So this is where you lived,” Ransom said, looking around with his hands on his hips. 

“Mhmm,” you answered. 

“It doesn’t suit you,” he said. “So small.”

You let out a little laugh. “There are other rooms.”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.” You did and you had to agree with him. You hadn’t been sure what to expect coming back here. A pang of longing maybe. Some sort of homesickness. But you felt nothing. This was someone else’s home from someone else’s life.

Andy was still carrying on in the background, getting louder now that he was being ignored. You turned to look at him and Ransom wrapped his arms around your stomach, lightly nipping at your neck. “That,” he said, nodding to Andy, “is a choice I’ll never understand.”

You shrugged. “It made sense at the time.” 

He hummed into your neck, placing a hungry kiss there. “Only because I hadn’t shown you what you could be, yet,” he sighed. “What was hiding inside of you this whole time.” You pushed yourself back into him, grasping his hands where they met on your stomach. “Poor little thing,” he continued, “desperately needing something without knowing what. No wonder you came running right to me.” Your eyes fluttered shut, as one of his hands slowly traveled up your abdomen to the space between your breasts. “Look at you now, all this power–”

Andy yelled your name and you looked up at him. “Everyone’s searching for you! Your parents are worried sick. They won’t stop calling to see if I’ve seen you. Tineka’s convinced I’ve buried your body somewhere. And this whole time, you’ve just been what? Fucking some guy?”

You frowned at the mention of your parents. You felt something at that. Sadness maybe, but it was so far away. Like you were experiencing someone else’s memories. 

“Shut up,” Ransom said calmly, but you could feel the power in the command. Andy immediately went silent.  

Ransom walked you over to the bed without giving up his grip on you. “So this is where the magic happened?” You snorted. “How many other women did he fuck in your bed?”

“Three,” you snarled. “That I know of.”

He ran a hand over your hair as he looked over at Andy. “I don’t know why you had to go looking elsewhere when you had such a perfect grade-A pussy waiting for you at home,” he said and ran his nose up the column of your throat. Your want thrummed through your entire body—every part of you. There hadn’t been a single second of a day that you hadn’t needed him since he turned you. You were always hungry for him. He’d told you it would calm down once you’d had more time to adjust. You weren’t sure you wanted it to.

“I’m thinking you just didn’t know how to use it,” he continued, talking to Andy but letting his hands roam all over you. “You know, the first time I went down on her, she acted like she’d never had a real orgasm before. I had to be the one to unlock all her power after you’d tamped it down. To show her how good she could feel and be all the time. Forever.”

At that, you craned your head back to catch Ransom’s lips in a passionate kiss. His hands wandered up to your breasts, squeezing just right. You moaned into his mouth. You were so tempted to push him down on the bed, take him right there, but that wasn’t what you'd come here for. Wasn’t what you were starving for.  

You broke the kiss and looked back at Andy. He was furious but mingled with that, you could also see fear. It made you gleeful. You wanted more. You locked eyes with him and let your fangs drop. There was the briefest moment of confusion on his face, but then the penny dropped and he finally understood what was happening. Still held in place by your command, he couldn’t cower, but you could see how much he wanted to. 

Ransom was still pawing away at you, but you were getting tired of the foreplay. “I’m hungry,” you whined.

He laughed, “You’re always hungry, my insatiable little thing.”

“I’m ready. Let me bite him.”

Ransom hummed into your neck. “You gonna play with him a little before you kill him?”

You let yourself relish the abject terror on Andy’s face before you answered. “I’m not going to kill him.”

Ransom’s hands fell to your hips as he took a step back and turned you around to face him. “What do you mean you aren’t going to kill him?”

“I want to taste him, feed on him, and then make sure he’ll never tell anyone he saw us, and leave. I want him to know that I can come back any time I want. I want him to go crazy with it. I want to make him feel the way you made me feel.”

“Baby,” he said, his tone slightly cajoling, “you know why I had to do that.”

You nodded. You did. He’d explained it to you and you’d understood. He had to break you down before he could build you back up—before he could make you into what you were always meant to be. You reached out to him and grazed your fingertips over his cheek. “I know,” you said, “and you know I’m so grateful for it. But it doesn’t change how scared I was. And that’s how I want him to feel. For the rest of his life.”

Ransom sighed. “You’re still so young, honey. You haven’t shown the best restraint so far. Are you sure you’ll be able to stop?”

“I’m getting better,” you pouted.

“You are,” he agreed, “but remember how upset you were after that waitress? I just don’t want you to be disappointed in yourself if this doesn’t go how you’d planned, little rabbit.”

“I can do it,” you said firmly. “And you’ll help me.”

He rolled his eyes fondly. “Yeah, I’ll help you. But I still say we should just kill him and be done with it.”

“Noted,” you said with a gentle smile and a quick peck to his lips. You turned back to Andy and slowly erased the distance between you. You traced his cheekbone with a sharp fingernail and gave a feral grin as you watched him do what he could to flinch away from you. “I want to hear him beg,” you said, without breaking eye contact with him.

Ransom groaned behind you. “It’s going to be annoying.”

“No, it’ll be good. He’ll beg so pretty, won’t you, darling?”

“Fine,” Ransom sighed behind you. You could just imagine his irritated face as he grasped your waist and sandwiched you between the two men. “You may speak,” he said over your shoulder.

Andy breathed your name. Once, twice. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you don’t have to do this. Whatever he’s making you– This isn’t you. I know it isn’t. I know you. You don’t want to do this, you don’t. Listen, listen, I– I still love you. I do.” He was frantic, babbling. It was incredible. “Come on! It’s me. I know I hurt you, and, and I’m sorry. But you still love me, I know you do. Don’t do this. Please. Please, you can’t do this. You can’t fucking do this!”   

“I’ll tell you one thing, bud,” Ransom said, his mouth so close to your ear, every inch of him pressed up against your back. “You never fucking knew her.” He squeezed your waist. “Come on, baby, let’s do what we came here for.”

You pressed back into Ransom for the briefest moment and then lunged forward latching onto Andy’s neck, holding him close in your arms. As his blood filled your mouth, you groaned in pleasure. He was so fucking good, everything you dreamed. You sucked hard, feeling him losing strength beneath you when Ransom suddenly pulled you back.

“Pace yourself, little rabbit,” he said. 

You looked down at Andy, quickly losing color. “But he’s so good,” you whined. “I want more.”

“I know you do, and you’ll have it. But first, give me a taste.” He forced you to let go of Andy, who collapsed onto the floor and turned you around. He licked Andy’s blood off your lips. “Mmm,” he hummed in consideration. “He’s fine I guess. Nothing compared to you.” You smiled into it as he kissed you again. “Come on, let’s get him on the bed. We still have all night.”

[ohraicodoll]

i see a prompt request 👀 what about “stop trying to help me it’s just hurting you” with feral reader… maybe joel is the one helping her with the adjustment to settlement life in wyoming? or they’re out on a run and she gets hurt? anything tbh you decide

Yesssss I am all for this one. I had some downtime and managed to write this so fast. So have some angst and maybe some lore and both of them fighting lol

Left Behind Joel Miller x f!Reader/OFC The Last of Us 2.5k Words (3rd POV) (Lots of callbacks to Monsters but not necessary to read first. Feral Reader's name is used sparingly so yes, she's technically more an OFC as you get lore in this one) Summary: Settling into life in Jackson wasn't going so easily and Joel is hit with the possibility she may not be welcomed to stay.

“Joel, she’s trouble, man,” Tommy ran a hand through his hand exasperatedly, pacing the hard packed ground in front of both their homes, “I know shit was rough out there. Hell, the three of you were practically hissing at everyone when you came through that first time, but it’s been a couple months. She’s scaring half the town and you’re scaring the other half acting like her goddamn guard dog.”

The older Miller brother clenched his jaw, hands on his hips and trying not to show how much his split open knuckles smarted, “I wouldn’t have to if those assholes would stop treating her like a fucking pariah or giving her shit every time she tries to stand up for herself.” “You have got to admit it’s not exactly like she’s giving them much reason not to act that way,” Tommy sighed and spread his hands pleadingly, “She threatened to stab Johnny at the lumberyard through his hand for looking at her weird, not to mention I’ve already had to take her off patrol duty with anyone but you after she beat Grant-” “That boy learned the hard way to keep his hands to himself,” Joel cut him off.

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, before glancing back at his house where his very pregnant wife currently was, “Brother, I can’t have her acting this way. I get it’s not perfect here, but we can’t have trouble like this. Maria…she’s already considering that if Red doesn't get her shit together she may not be welcome to stay.” Silence fell between the two, boiling and tense. He didn’t have to even look up to know the look on his older brother’s face at his words, could feel it as if flames were on his skin. It was like lighting a match around gasoline, waiting for the whole thing to ignite. He knew that as much as his brother cared about the young girl in his charge, he also cared about the woman that came along with them. And when Joel Miller cared about something, he’d go through hell for them. “That’s not gonna happen,” Joel bit out harshly, snarling. His irises had darkened to almost black, the hints of hazel swallowed almost entirely. His body was tight, a wire begging to snap. But the younger of the two could only shake his head, feeling lost and unable to comprehend what to do. Torn between the home he had helped create and protect, his wife who had the weight of the community on her shoulders while preparing to give birth to his first kid, and his brother’s protectiveness over the rough woman currently inside the house. “Just get it sorted. Talk to her. My hands are tied, I can only do so much,” Tommy sighed, turning and heading back across the lot to his own home and life. Joel didn’t watch him leave. His eyes were trained on the ground, blood roaring in his ears as he replayed the words over and over again. They were considering kicking Red out. He’d dragged her all over the country, to Wyoming then Colorado and Salt Lake and back to Jackson, forcing her to settle down only for her to get kicked out. He knew she was having a hard time. She’d never stayed in a QZ, had stayed out in the world too long alone or with the wrong people and didn’t know how to deal with a community like this. Normal people who didn’t have to tear each other apart for scraps. While he and Ellie didn’t have the smoothest transition and were still rough around the edges, they’d managed while the woman had hit wall after wall. She was defensive, quick to react and bare her teeth. It was fine out beyond the gates but inside Jackson where everyone was trying to find a new normal it had caused issues. One of the steel workers was Grant’s brother and hadn’t taken kindly to her beating the shit out of him. He had refused to give her some parts they needed for the house and then called her a bitch when she’d slapped his payment down and went to snatch the items. But he hadn’t registered Joel around the corner listening and before they all knew it his fist was flying into the man’s face. He’d have done more if Tommy hadn’t broken them up. But his brother was right and she did have a reputation, had scared a lot more than half the town. He’d seen the way mothers had pulled their kids away or the looks some of the guardsmen gave her. Ellie had told off more than a few, shouting across the plaza when she’d catch it, defensive. He’d watched Red shrink in the settlement, only fully confident like she usually was outside of Jackson. He’d figure it out. He had to. 

With a deep sigh, he turned and went inside. Ellie had been sent to take care of the errands and get the groceries they both knew Red wouldn’t be able to get. The teenager was understanding and was doing the best she could to help, keeping any complaints to herself or to him when they were alone to not burden the woman. She was as protective of her as he was of both of them. The house was quiet. It was all something he was still getting used to. Having a house again, a home where he didn’t have to worry about getting attacked or FEDRA raids, no more furniture salvaged from garbage dumps and pipes that rattled without a drop of hot water. Jackson made it easy to get comfortable, to feel like it was before the world was ravaged. Easy for him at least. He paused and waited a moment, hearing the almost imperceptible sound of breathing on his good side before he rounded the kitchen counter and looked down. Red sat on the tiled floor, knees pulled up to her chest, head resting back against the cabinet doors. Her face was blank but he’d learned to read the small hints of thoughts on her face. Lips pressed tight, eyes focusing on her nails even as he hovered. She’d heard. He knew she had. “Should I start packing my bag now or wait for Maria to give me the word?” she chewed on her lip, feigning nonchalance. “Neither. You ain’t going nowhere,” Joel bit out with a furrowed brow. She laughed humorlessly, mouth turning into a grimace, “That’s not up to you, Tex.” Those eyes looked up finally, met his, and he could see the resignation there. This wasn’t something she was going to fight if they made her leave. She’d do it and he knew why, knew it was for them, but refused to accept it. “Like hell it ain’t.” “Stop,” abruptly getting to her feet, she hissed at him, “Just stop it. Stop trying to help me. It’s only hurting you and Ellie. You have actual family here, Joel. Flesh and blood family. You could murder someone and they’d still keep you here and Ellie as well, but I’m a liability. To you, to her, to all of them. I get it.” “I don’t give a fuck if you get it, Red,” Joel was angry, getting into her face, “They’re not kicking you out. End of conversation.” “Not end of fucking conversation,” she growled, “I’m not risking yours and Ellie’s only chance at a safe, stable life. If that means I go back out there then so be it.”

“God, you’re so fuckin’ stubborn sometimes,” he all but yelled through his teeth. A laugh tore from her, sharp and loud, her brow raised, “Oh that’s hilarious coming from you.” He wanted to beat his fist through the fucking wall, pick up a glass and shatter it if only to release some of the frustration dealing with her gave him. That damn martyrdom that he hadn’t ever been able to get rid of, scream out of her no matter how many times he told her to stop it. She was so willing to throw herself away for his or Ellie’s sake as if what happened to her didn’t matter and it drove him insane every single time. “You better quit that shit,” Joel ground out between clenched teeth, “That stupid fucking selfless bullshit. For what? As punishment because you lost some people? That…fucking Harry you were with?” He hadn’t ever brought up the name she had mentioned once because he knew what it was like for someone to bring up the past. She hadn’t offered much of her background and he never asked, but there had been small moments. That name had stuck in his brain though, like the little stars tattooed on her collarbone and the “love ya” on her skin in someone else’s handwriting. 

The silence following his words were deafening, all emotion wiped off her face. It was as if someone had scrubbed away anything that made her a person, human, in seconds. 

Then something darker took over and twisted and she smiled, a showing of teeth, and eyes so hollow they seemed like caverns, “Is that what you think? That I’m punishing myself over some boyfriend that died when the world fell apart as if most of the fucking population didn’t also die too? That I’m what? A sad little heartbroken girl pining over some lost love?” A laugh left her lips and it felt like poison, dripping venom. He clenched his fist, anger burning hot, but he knew better than to say anything or approach her when she was like this. Dangerous. Sometimes she was so dangerous he wondered how he had ever thought it was safe to turn his back on her. “That’s real sweet, Tex…I shot him, you know?” she laughed again, not a bit of humor on her face, “Not because he was infected. No. He wasn’t even bit, didn’t have a scratch on him. He was fully alive and healthy before I blew his face right off.” She’d mentioned the man’s name long ago on the road when they’d gotten drunk out. It had slipped out of her covered in pain and regret, Harry and her younger sister, how she'd been barely starting her life when the apocalypse hit. A singer. Ellie had mentioned she had been trying to be a singer and he’d always pictured a bright eyed girl unprepared for what was to come. He had wondered if that death had been what had broken her, guttered her and tore out her soul to the point she lived on instinct only, how that girl had become the hissing creature before him. Now he wasn’t so sure.

Stepping closer to him, he resisted the urge to back away, to show that he was like the rest of them and scared of her too. She almost smiled wider and he knew she was expecting him to, a test almost, “You see we were on a run. Harry, me, and Annie. Spooked some runners so we booked it out of the building because back then I wasn’t much of a fighter, hadn’t learned yet. So I trusted him to keep us safe. Yet, lo and behold, when we get through the front door and I turn around, I see him.” Her words were made of broken glass that cut her apart and made her mouth bleed, devastation and rage coating each one but he didn’t move or try to comfort her lest he got cut too, “Harry had shoved my sister behind so he could get through first then shut the door in her face. I watched them through the glass tear her apart, screaming my name, because I had trusted him to have her back. Instead he got her killed. So I killed him.”

There was no smile then.  He remembers how they met. Ellie had fallen behind while running from scavengers because he hadn’t put her in front of him. It had been Red who had saved her and like a missing puzzle piece, he could see the picture come together. Knowing her now and how it wasn’t normal for her to go out of her way to help strangers, but she��d helped them.

Because Annie had fallen behind once before and she couldn’t save her. Blamed herself for her death.

“It was my fault and I’ll be damned if I ruin both of your chances at staying here where you are safer. Not because of me,” the snarl had left her face, hackles dropping until just the woman was left. Exhausted and a little sad and lost. It’d broken her, he knew that. In the same way Sarah’s death had left him a shell. But he’d kept going for Tommy, Tess, and eventually Ellie.

She hadn’t had anyone until them and now she thought she was putting them at risk.

Joel frowned and stepped forward, their chests almost pressed together, before cupping her face between his hands. His knuckles were bruised and bloody still, but neither of them cared, had never cared about getting blood on the other, “I hate to break it to you, darlin’, but if you think after that I’d still let you go then you’re wrong. I learned my lesson last time we were in Jackson. We stick together. No one’s getting left behind.”

Her eyes squeezed shut, a broken sigh leaving her lips. Her hands came up and gripped his waist, fingers wrapping around his belt tightly like he was a lifeline. Resignation wrapped her entirely in its embrace and he knew the fight had gone out of her, “I…I don’t know how to be around these people. There’s too many of them and they all stare…I’m going to mess up.”

The admission brought a slight smile to his lips, a crack in the defense she had attempted to put between them and a sign that she was giving in, “Well I think as long as you don’t try to maul or kill anyone and maybe limit to punching one or two people a month, that’ll be good enough.”

She huffed exasperatedly, head falling forward and leaning against his chest. His thumb traced her cheek, the other combing through the tangled mess that was her hair. For all she used to gripe at Ellie for taking care of her own, she wasn’t much better. But the strands were still soft and he took advantage of it when he could, feeling her relax against him.

“I’ll talk to Tommy and Maria. You just give yourself time to adjust and try,” Joel murmured, “We’ll figure it out, but you’re not going anywhere.” She nodded against him and at last wrapped her arms fully around his body, sinking into him while he held her tightly back. They both stayed there for a while, arms tight, standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Joel would pull every string, get every ounce of leverage he could get to ensure she stayed. No one was going to take her away from them.

[wanderinginksplot-writes]

One-Shot: Boss + Competence

Sergeant Boss x gn!reader (no pronouns, no use of 'y/n')

Word Count: 4,700

Warnings: Frustration, feelings of otherness, disrespect

---

“Ten o’clock, Boss,” Scorch muttered, elbowing Boss lightly in the side. 

Boss glared, but he knew it was useless. Nothing could put a damper on Scorch’s personality, especially when he thought he was helping. Besides, the head’s up was a sign that there were more important things to focus on. 

And, sure enough, there you were. 

A long-term mission with standard troopers hadn’t been a good use of Delta Squad’s time, in Boss’s opinion. The main strength of a commando squad was that they were fast and subtle, able to move in and out of an area without drawing a lot of attention. Strapping them with an entire Venator-class Star Destroyer was taking away that advantage as much as anyone could. 

But you had turned out to be an unexpected benefit. From what Boss could gather, you did something with the computational systems aboard the Resolute, though he hadn’t narrowed down exactly what your specialty was. You seemed to bounce all over the ship, working on whatever needed attention at that particular moment. 

Maybe you would have continued to be just another member of the ship’s crew - nat-borns weren’t common on ships, but they were hardly as rare as he would have thought - but you had quickly drawn Boss’s attention with your sharp temper. 

The first time someone had interrupted a vital power connection so they could charge a datapad, you had removed the offending connection and taken the datapad for good measure. The foolish owner had attempt to dress you down for confiscating the datapad, but you had pushed him aside with ease. In the end, you had threatened to tell his commanding officer that he had left sensitive information in such an easily accessible place. 

Any other stupidity had been met with an equal amount of sarcasm and impatience. It was everything Boss wanted to do when he was tired of trying to set a good example for the rest of Delta Squad. There was only so much idiocy any one person could be expected to endure, and it was clear that you had hit your limit. 

So, yes, watching you was one of Boss’s great joys. He justified it to himself that he was being respectful. He could also make sure others were being respectful, as well. From your temper, Boss assumed that you could take care of yourself, but you were in an unfamiliar place. You were outside of the typical power structure, which could put you at a disadvantage if someone decided to push your boundaries. 

Boss only realized how far his thoughts had drifted when he felt the others staring at him. Sev shook his head despairingly. “I thought you’d be able to handle yourself better than this, Sarge.” 

“Are you kidding?” Scorch asked. “This is the first time I’ve seen him look that way at something other than his Deece.” 

“Shut up, Six-Two,” Fixer ordered. “Three-Eight, if you want to make a good impression, I hear conversation is a good start. You won’t get anything out of staring from across the room.” 

“For once, I agree with Fixer,” Scorch said. 

“I do, too,” Sev said. 

Boss started to seriously consider the merits of desertion. 

“We’ll leave you to weigh your options,” Fixer said, marching away. Sev and Scorch followed after a moment. Scorch offered a broad grin as he left, nodding so determinedly toward you that he attracted a suspicious look from your direction. 

Boss turned away before you could follow Scorch’s gaze to him. That was all he needed - to be taken out by Scorch’s irritating nature before he’d even had the chance to make a good first impression. 

By the time he glanced back over, you were putting the finishing touches on some wires you had been setting up near the front of the room where this meeting was to take place. He didn’t envy you - the Negotiator was moving in and out of hyperspace to throw off chances of being tracked. It was a strong method of ensuring security, but it made connections to outside sources complex and unreliable.

You hardly seemed concerned, face unworried and hands sure as you wove together connections, typed strings of code into the terminal, and laid out the holoprojectors.

Boss tucked his helmet under one arm, inching closer to you under the guise of making room for the others who were filtering into the meeting room. You were just as stunning up close. Boss was struggling to come up with a conversational opening when you gathered some spare bundles of wires, tucked them into a bag on your shoulder, and left. 

He was still trying to manage his disappointment when General Kenobi started the meeting. 

Somehow, Boss managed to pay attention to the rest of the meeting. He chalked it up to some quirk of Jango’s genes that allowed him to remember every word with only half of his attention fixed on the proceedings. Delta Squad was a temporary attachment to the 212th. What did they care about setting long-term goals for better intelligence? Intel was intel and all of it was terrible. That was just how it went. 

“Sergeant Boss,” General Kenobi called. Boss turned his way, allocating approximately 5% more of his attention to the meeting. “Commander Cody tells me that you recently experienced trouble on a mission due to subpar intelligence. Can you tell us more about what happened and how you handled it?”

Boss fought back a snort. “You’ll have to be more specific, General. Most of the GAR’s intel is subpar, especially for the commando squads. More often than not, accuracy takes lower precedence than timeliness.”

General Kenobi’s gaze sharpened. “What percentage of your information would you estimate is accurate and useful?” 

And so it went. Kenobi wasn’t satisfied knowing about Boss’s low opinion of GAR intel - he wanted to know details. It was a special kind of hell for Boss, who wasn’t used to explaining his thought process or how his squad worked to anyone other than General Windu. Even then, the Coruscant debriefing sessions were usually kept as short and vague as they could manage without sacrificing important information. 

The meeting devolved further and further until it was little more than CTs asking for stories about commando missions. General Kenobi cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, I’m sure we all have important tasks to which we must return. If the sergeant has time, he can answer your questions. In the meantime, you are all dismissed.” 

Despite Boss’s best efforts, he was surrounded by standard troopers, stuck in the room until he had given enough vague answers and sharp reprimands that the crowd dissipated. He allowed himself a moment to silently curse Kenobi’s name before voices at the front of the room attracted his attention. 

“Excuse me, but that is not the proper way to disconnect a holoprojector.” 

There was a sigh, and Boss could recognize the sound of it without a moment of hesitation. You were back. 

“You aren’t listening to me,” the officer repeated. It was one of the nat-borns - a tall, lanky man drowning in his own self-importance. “I said, that is not the proper way to disconnect a holoprojector.” 

You dropped the cords in your hand, letting them hit the table with a weak slap. “Listen, lieutenant-” 

“Captain,” the man corrected, puffing out his chest so you would be sure to see the collection of medals there. Boss was willing to bet that none of them were earned for doing anything that could sully the captain’s perfect uniform.

“Captain, then-” You paused again, letting the silence dangle as you peered at him. “What’s my rank?” 

The captain frowned. “You… don’t have a rank.” 

“Exactly.” You started gathering the cords again, eyes dropping to your work. It was clear from your posture and the tone of your voice that you weren’t meekly looking away. No, the man had been dismissed, for all that you were still talking to him. “That’s because I’m a contractor.” 

“Yes, you are.” The captain frowned harder, like he was trying to see the trap in your statement. Boss started to grin, having already spotted it. “But-”

“If the GAR had to hire an outside contractor to handle their comms, it means that no one else knows how to do the work I do.” You finished rolling the cords into neat bundles and turned your attention to the holoprojector itself. “I’m the expert here. So you can take your opinion on how I do my job and-” 

You glanced around the room, eyes meeting Boss’s. He felt electrified by the eye contact, but you turned away just as quickly. 

“And keep it to yourself,” you finished.

“You’re a civilian serving on a military vessel,” the captain sputtered. “I am certain you signed an agreement to obey commands given by the officers-”

“My contract says I answer to General Kenobi,” you told him. “Any complaints about my performance go directly to him. He’s on the bridge if you want to report me because you don’t like the way I roll cords.” 

And then you turned to retrieve the case for the holoprojectors. It was an end to the conversation, as clearly as if you had left the room entirely. The captain stiffly walked away. Boss wondered for a moment if he really was going to the bridge, but then he put the man out of his head. You were in the same room, and he wasn’t going to waste another chance to speak with you. 

“Hey,” he started, walking over to the table where you were working.

…Only to freeze when you fixed him with an evil look. “I’m not in the mood for anyone else to tell me how I’m doing my job wrong, thanks. Since everyone is so concerned, let me explain how it works: I sign out all of the equipment I use, and it is regularly inspected by someone else. If there’s any damage from the way I set up or break down the equipment, it will be found and I’ll be held accountable. Leave me alone.” 

Boss was loathe to refuse such a direct request, especially since he could hear the weariness in it, but he was horrified at the idea of leaving you to think he was on the same level as the others who had doubted your ability to do your job. 

“Sorry, I just- wanted to tell you how much I respect the way you’ve been handling all of the osik they’re throwing your way.” An expression of bone-deep irritation had crossed your face when Boss started to speak, but it faded as you listened to the rest of his statement.

“Osik is banthashit, right?” 

Emboldened by the lack of vitriol, Boss nodded. “Basically. Any idiot with eyes can see that you know how to do your job. They’re just questioning you to make themselves feel better about not being able to do what you do.” 

“Among other things,” you agreed dryly. “I already know that’s what they’re doing.” 

An uncharacteristic self-doubt swept through Boss and he wondered if he had overstepped. That was eased when you took a deep breath, shoulders relaxing when you let it out. “But thanks. It’s nice to know that someone else sees it, too. Makes me feel less like I’m pushing a speeder uphill.”

“You’re good at your job,” Boss said firmly. “That’s not in doubt by anyone who matters.” 

“That’s-” Your comlink interrupted and you let out a frustrated groan when you looked at it. “Sorry, I have to get to another setup on the bridge.” 

Boss nodded again, but you didn’t see it. Your practiced motions had picked up in speed, working quickly to pack up the equipment from the meeting and load it onto a small cart. He helped with the last few containers, but the process would have gone just as fast without his help. Maybe faster.

You were almost to the door when you turned back. “Hey, what’s your name?” 

“Boss,” he told you reflexively. 

You grinned at that, and the sight of it made Boss’s heart stutter in his chest. “Great name. I’ll see you around, Boss.” 

All things considered, that had gone better than Boss had expected.

From that point, he really did seem to see you more often. You were fixing comms channels, checking on issues with the droids in the mess hall, or working on the data terminals in the main sections of the ship. Every time he saw you, you were too busy for another conversation - even as short as the last one had been - but you always took a moment to smile and greet him by name. 

If Boss had been half in love with you when he was watching you verbally eviscerate officers from a distance, he was fully gone now that you actually knew who he was. Any day was a little brighter when you were working nearby, and he found himself looking forward to meetings. There was always a chance that you would be responsible for the setup, especially if the required equipment was tricky or difficult. 

The downside was, he suspected, the same as it had always been: that you were given shockingly little respect by the people you helped. Boss had personally witnessed troopers and natties alike complaining about the technology and blaming you specifically. He made a point of dressing them down when he witnessed it, but it seemed to be widespread. 

“I can’t believe you found a nattie to moon over in the middle of hyperspace,” Fixer complained. At least, it was framed as a complaint, but Fixer’s tone was as close to camaraderie as Boss had ever heard it. 

“You wanna keep your voice down, Fixer?” he asked, purposefully cutting the other man off as they walked into a meeting room. “You know how regs like to talk. The wrong thing overheard by the wrong person leads to-” 

“An unhappy Three-Eight,” Fixer finished for him. “I’ll stow it, then. But you might see more of… your person of interest if Kenobi wasn’t obsessed with meetings.”

Boss snorted despite himself. None of the troopers were overly big fans of meetings - Jango’s genes made them men of action rather than words, and they didn’t get much from endless planning - but commandos seemed to have a particular loathing for them. 

Of course, it could be that the 212th had simply gotten used to them after working with Kenobi for as long as they had. 

Fortunately, this meeting was likely going to be shorter than previous ones had been. Kenobi and Cody were busy with a different meeting, so this would be attended by Delta Squad, a few officers from the 212th, and an ARC who had been attached to the battalion for their upcoming mission. 

“What do we need the long-range holos for?” one of the officers asked as Delta Squad walked into the room. 

Boss’s heart gave an exaggerated thud in his chest at the mention of equipment you might be responsible for, but it looked like this holoprojector had already been set up. 

“The ARC, Aftermath,” another answered, blissfully unaware of Boss’s sudden interest in long-range technology. “He’s finishing another assignment right now, but he’ll meet up with us as soon as we drop out of hyperspace. He requested an early briefing.”

A sergeant who Boss vaguely recognized - his name was Heft, if Boss remembered correctly - was trying to turn on the holoprojector. The first click of the button did nothing and Heft scowled. The second, third, and fourth times didn’t have any more effect, and Heft’s expression grew darker with every failed attempt. 

“This karkin’ thing is broken,” he concluded eventually. 

The holoprojector looked fine, but Boss couldn’t argue that it didn’t seem to be performing its intended function. 

“Maybe we should call the tech specialist,” one of the others suggested. 

Heft snarled. “Yeah, call back the ‘specialist’ who couldn’t set it up right the first time. Great idea.” 

Keeping a professional expression was a skill every trooper learned from a young age, but Boss suddenly found it more difficult than he had in a long time. The rest of Delta was throwing subtle glances his way, clearly trying to figure out if and how their sergeant would react.

The tricky part was that Boss couldn’t figure that out, either. Heft was a sergeant, too. Since there was no clear chain of command between the two of them, Boss had fewer options on how he could handle things. 

After a few moments of internal debate, Boss decided it would be the most helpful if he took charge of the situation. He found your GAR-issued comm channel on the directory easily enough, putting on his helmet so he could make the call in a little peace… especially since Heft was still spewing insults. 

You answered the call with your last name. No greeting, not even a first name. Boss blinked stupidly for a moment until he could shake himself. “Hey, it’s Boss. We’re in conference room 37 and the holoprojector isn’t working. Can you give us some ideas on how to fix it?” 

“37?” you checked. “For the ARC briefing?”

“That’s the one.” 

“I’ll be there in two minutes.” 

And the line went dead. Boss pulled off his helmet. “Specialist is on the way. ETA two minutes.” 

Heft grumbled while a lieutenant offered to comm Aftermath to let him know about the delay. Boss cleared his throat. “Who will be delivering the briefing to Aftermath? I’d like to wrap this up as quickly as possible.” 

“Who doesn’t?” Heft demanded, delivering a solid slap to the projector. “If this osik was set up correctly, we’d already be done.” 

“Do y’think he realizes what a shabuir he’s being?” Scorch asked, too quietly for anyone outside of Delta Squad to hear.

A single, perfunctory knock sounded through the room and then you were standing in the open doorway. Boss looked at you immediately, offering a subtle smile, but your attention had been captured by Heft. The other sergeant had stridden up to you, looming far too close. 

“This is ridiculous,” Heft ranted. “This was supposed to be set up and completed hours ago. Now we’ve had to delay a briefing for an important mission, all so you could get back here to see if you can do your job on the second try.” 

Boss bristled, but you were already studying the holoprojector - from across the room because Heft was blocking the way, but your eyes were roving over it determinedly. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I tested it myself when I set it up. Has anyone messed with the settings since I left?” 

“No,” Heft said frostily. “That’s your job.” 

“Di’kut,” Sev muttered under his breath.

You eyed Heft, clearly unimpressed. “I can do my job a lot better if I can get a look at the projector. Do you mind letting me past?” 

Rather than wait for him to let you through, you stepped around Heft, the edge of your shoulder brushing against his armor as you passed. You took quick stock of the holoprojector, studying it from every angle even as Heft took a breath in preparation for more complaining. 

Heft’s face was red with anger and Boss’s fingers worked on his vambrace. Putting his helmet on would be too obvious, but his HUD could record even if it wasn’t currently sealed to the rest of his armor. With the helmet tucked beneath his arm and facing forward, Boss was sure he had a shot of you. 

“Maybe I do mind,” Heft bit out. “I want an apology for you wasting our time. We have an ARC trooper in the field who is taking time away from his mission to be debriefed. He has been waiting five minutes past when we were supposed to start and I’m not going to be the one held responsible for that delay! I’m going to Kenobi with this, I can tell you that much.”

Because Boss was watching you so closely, he noticed exactly when your eyes stopped roving over the projector. You straightened, standing calm and proud, a stoic monument against the weight of Heft’s irrational irritation. 

You pressed two buttons and the projector flickered on, a holographic image of an ARC trooper appearing in the next instant. 

In the quiet of Heft’s sudden speechlessness, you stepped forward and faced the projector. “Can you hear me?” 

“Loud and clear,” Aftermath reported immediately. 

You gave a satisfied nod and turned back toward the door - and, coincidentally, Heft. “It helps if you turn on the console.” 

Boss wouldn’t have blamed you if you had gloated for another ten minutes. Heft would have deserved every second of it. But you left the room, letting the door quietly close behind you.

He wanted to go after you, burned with the need to make sure you were okay, but he couldn’t leave the briefing. Not without a good reason. Especially since Heft was starting to brief Aftermath on the upcoming mission.

Fixer tapped his vambrace, then jammed his helmet onto his head. A moment later, he pulled it off, glancing at Boss. “Important call for you, Three-Eight. Needs an immediate response.”

“Understood,” Boss acknowledged with a nod. There were times when Fixer could be the most devious vod… Boss glanced over at Heft, who was watching them curiously. “I assume you have it from here, Sergeant?” 

“Of course, Sergeant,” Heft replied, using Boss’s rank just as pointedly as Boss had used Heft’s. 

Boss ducked out of the room, spotting your retreating figure immediately. Following you was simple - you clearly weren’t in a hurry, and his brisk strides caught up to your meandering pace with ease.

“Hey-” 

You turned to face him with an expression of frustration and disbelief that made him freeze. “It’s working now, I tested visuals and audio myself. What else could you need?” 

Boss raised his hands, hating that you had thought he would follow you to continue Heft’s beration. “No, I- Everything is working fine. It always was - Heft is just an idiot. Are you okay?” 

You let out a breath, and Boss could hear the hint of a tremble in it. He sent out a silent plea that you weren’t going to start crying. Your eyes were bright enough that he worried he was seeing tears, but he would give anything he owned to be wrong. 

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” you confided, voice sharp. “It’s not enough for me to do my job - I have to constantly reassure everyone that I know what I’m doing. Basic tasks take me triple the time they should because I have to convince people I’m competent, which puts me behind schedule, then everyone else thinks I’m incompetent because I’m late! Everyone warned me that government contractor work was a bad idea, but this is ridiculous.”

To Boss’s utter relief, you didn’t sound sad. Upset, sure, but more angry than sad. The glint he had seen in your eyes was barely-suppressed rage. He could deal with that. 

“Then don’t let me make you late to your next job,” he told you. 

Your expression froze, taking on a shade of guilt. “Boss, I’m not- I’m just venting. None of this is directed at you-” 

“I know that,” Boss reassured you. “But we can walk while you vent. Lead on.” 

“I-” You started walking, Boss gamely keeping pace beside you. “I think I might be done, actually.” 

“You sure?” Boss didn’t mean to sound so skeptical, but you still looked tense. “It’s good for you to bleed off the frustration. Better than keeping it all inside.” 

“Yeah, I’m good.” You sighed, rubbing at your temple. “I’m just tired. Seems like everyone has a grudge against me. I’m good at my job and I know it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swim against the current.” 

Boss gave a sympathetic hum. After a moment in which you didn’t say anything else, he asked, “Do you want to quit?” 

“Yes.” You gave a little laugh, which had the interesting effect of restarting Boss’s heart immediately after it had stopped. “But that doesn’t mean I will.” 

“I understand wanting to quit.” 

You squinted at him. “Do you? I thought you were, like, engineered to be the perfect soldier. What else would you want to do, if not this?” 

“I-” Boss hesitated. “It’s more theoretical than that for me. If I quit, it’s desertion.” 

You scoffed, and Boss liked to think it was at the institution of the GAR rather than at his confession. Judging by the warmth in your expression, he was correct. 

“Are you going to leave?” 

The question came out softer than he had meant it to, leaving the conversation with a sudden feeling of intimacy. You shrugged. “I’ll decide after this mission. We’re in hyperspace - I can’t exactly step off the ship anytime I want. Besides, I’ll get hazard pay when we actually reach the war zone.” 

“Lucky.” Boss’s pouting mutter made you laugh again. Wayii! He had just heard it for the first time few minutes before, but he already knew he would do anything to listen to you laugh. 

“If it’s any consolation,” he added. “I recorded your conversation with Heft and I’m sending it to Commander Cody. None of the men should speak to anyone the way Heft spoke to you. I couldn’t interfere, or I wouldn’t have gotten a clear recording. I’m sorry for not giving Heft what he deserved. But since he’s a sergeant, too, it’ll be better for it to come from his commanding officer-” 

“Boss, Boss,” you interrupted, lifting your hands up when he kept trying to explain. “I understand, and thank you. I don’t expect you to defend me against your brothers, though. That’s not a fair position to put you in.” 

“You haven’t asked me to do anything,” Boss rejected. “I’m following up on this because it’s not right for you to be talked down to for doing your job.”

“Be careful, Boss,” you warned. The way your eyes sparkled, he knew it wasn’t a real warning, but he was still intrigued. “If you keep being so nice to me, I’m going to insist on buying you a decent meal when we’re back on Coruscant.” 

Boss’s face went hot so quickly he wondered if they had wandered too close to the engine rooms. “You don’t have to do that.” 

“And you don’t have to do this,” you told him, gesturing at his helmet. “You’re the only one on this ship who talks to me like I’m an actual person.” 

“Sounds lonely.” Boss had experienced his share of dehumanizing experiences, both in the GAR and when they were in civilian surroundings, but he always had his brothers around. Without the rest of Delta Squad at his back, he wasn’t sure how well he would handle that kind of treatment.

“It is,” you agreed. “So I want to thank you. And I… I enjoy spending time with you.” 

You looked so sweet, so sincere… Boss was losing himself in your eyes, but he wasn’t about to stop it from happening. “Name the time and place. I’m there.” 

Your smile was just as breath-taking as every other time he had seen it. You gestured to the door that led to another set of conference rooms. “I have to go do some work for another long-distance comm this afternoon. But we could meet up later? We can debate about foods and restaurants, narrow down our options.” 

“Sounds great,” Boss agreed, finally breaking into a smile of his own. He gestured toward your comlink. “I called you from my frequency earlier. You can always reach me there, just save it to your files.” 

That smile turned undeniably to a grin as you ducked into the room. Just before the door closed between you, you winked. “I already did.” 

Boss laughed to himself as he walked back toward conference room 37. With any luck, the briefing with Aftermath was already over. If not, at least he had something to look forward to.

---

Author's Note - I'm pretty sure this is my first fic featuring Boss x reader and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Reminder, this is a gender-neutral reader. But I'm also a woman who works in IT, so all of Heft's complaints were taken almost word-for-word from the stuff people have said to me. (Just in case you wanted some background!)

Thank you for reading and thank you to the anon who gave me this prompt! You can find other works on my masterlist here.

[thewertsearch]

Mega-Giga Ask Comp: Part 3

@manorinthewoods asked: I'll be honest, I wrote the Locked Tomb ask having not read the Locked Tomb series. I literally only know the starting and ending strokes of the first book. That being said, I do like the half-soul-Sollux idea, and it works pretty well with the Locked Tomb's general theme of Lyctorhood, and how knotted the whole situation with Alecto, Gideon, and Harrow ends up being. (What is even going on with Nona) ~LOSS (4/13/24) @manorinthewoods asked: You know, if you hadn't already read Gideon the Ninth, I'd have recommended it as a good second liveblog. It really does fit your preferred sort of mystery. From all the clues presented, you could probably hit very close to the ultimate solution to the Lyctoral puzzle - as close as anybody could be expected to get. ~LOSS (25/4/24) @manorinthewoods asked: The Locked Tomb's prose is pretty good. On occasion, it happens to chime with a sound of 'Homestuck', but I only recall that twice so far in my reading. I like the skelebook. ~LOSS (27/4/24)

Once again, I'm glad my hidden agenda - convincing this blog's entire readership to check out The Locked Tomb - is bearing fruit.

I agree! TLT does occasionally give Homestuck vibes, presumably because its author is a fan. For the most part, though, its prose style is all its own.

Anonymous asked: Reference to American culture: the sphere of Jade's home dropping and the timer that preceded it are references to the Times Square Ball, an annual event held every New Year's Eve. A giant ball descends down a pole at 11:59 PM and reaches the bottom at 12:00 AM, January 1. I believe that you can figure out why the reference was included in the first place. Anonymous asked: btw the gamzee page was released on new years. ‘the miracle of a new beginning’ is the new year and the lab dropping is supposed to be a reference to the ball dropping in times square

Some America Lore here that I wasn't aware of.

I was wondering exactly what Gamzee meant by 'a new beginning'. Maybe Alternia practices the tradition as well.

@omnilew asked: the way you speculate and go indepth into sburbs features and how it affects the kids, made a silly headcanon that your kidsona is reading the comic while playing out their session though this is mainly because "Eventually, we were bound to cross a couple of wires that should never have been allowed to touch" kinda references chargerkind

I like it! Maybe my 'sonas have access to a more in-depth version of Rose's walkthrough, and are adding their own commentary in quiet moments during their own adventures.

@manorinthewoods asked: Your excitement over the resurrection of Dream Jade gave me a form of suspenseful mirth. Seeing how happy you were at her resurrection, while also knowing exactly what came of it, is perhaps textbook dramatic irony. If only you'd read a panel further… ~LOSS (26/4/24)

She looked so happy to be back, too! That certainly didn't last long.

She was prototyped with a smiling corpse, though. Maybe that was just her 'default' expression, and it vanished as soon as her actual feelings asserted themselves.

@thetinygladiator asked: 'I hadn’t really thought about Sally’s ectobiological parent - but now that I am, I think the funniest possible option is that it’s her landlady.' okay but i just gotta say… this immediately makes me think about how that relates to the house-building aspect. Like, with the giant tower, are they gonna charge the Imps for rent? That might work, honestly. Where do imps even live? Bet they don't have good AC or Wi-Fi, lemme tell ya.

300 GRIST/DAY NO CRUXTRUDER NO ALCHEMY NO PETS

@manorinthewoods submitted: How many computers would you have on your person if you were playing Sburb? Jade recommends at least 5. I say I'd have a laptop, phone, a spare of both of those, and computer gloves if I need to compute really fast. Also spare gloves. Speaking of the phone - is it possible for people to put phones in their pockets? Given Karkat (and a minor gag in Act 6), we can assume that it's difficult or uncommon to carry items without using the Sylladex - or maybe it's just tied to your dexterity, and you have to hold things gingerly to avoid captchaloguing them when you pick them up. On the other hand, there's no issues with accidentally storing something you've unstored and are using - so how does the Sylladex actually work? Do people just instinctively store their items once they're done using them? Is it difficult to avoid storing something you aren't using anymore? Can you stuff phones in pockets? If not, then why develop a PDA in the first place? Given the Sylladex, it should be much more commercially viable to make a tablet. ~LOSS (24/4/24)

Since Karkat can physically pick up a book, you can probably pocket your gear - although maybe there's a difference between holding an object and trying to add it to a physical 'inventory'. Either way, the issue is easily circumvented by employing wearable tech, like the kids do.

As depicted in my alchemy binge, my primary computing device would be the Pocket Holodex, which can remote into any computer in my sylladex.

In addition, my Modular Ring shirt is also a computer, which can presumably be augmented by adding extra mod1ules over time. I'd probably also captchalogue every computer in my apartment, of which I currently have six.

I'd be exploring the Medium with a minimum of seven computers, plus one pseudo-computer, plus a phone. Jade would certainly approve.

@iris-in-the-dark-world asked: the tension in act 5 act 2 is perfect, i love it. maybe even moreso on rereads, the foreshadowing and generally ominous vibes always get to me @heliotropopause asked: You're getting to the part where the comic really starts hitting its stride. This'll be fun.

The ever-present countdown certainly adds a degree of urgency to the situation.

I'm really liking the pacing of this current act, as things slowly progress towards some critical point - one which, for now, is still shrouded in mystery.

Anonymous asked: Forwarding another ask for the person with no account ~DJ: Eridan's deal seems to be based on Wizardry Herbert - a proto-Homestuck work by Hussie. A parody of Harry Potter dealing with whether magic is real. [] But Methods of Rationality began in February 2010, so "Harry Potter but obsessed with science" might have also been an intentional reference to that.-RM @heliotropopause asked: Eridan Ampora and the Methods of Rationality sure is an idea for a fanfic. He'd be so bad at it.

Eridan would be an extremely funny choice for a ratfic protagonist. He'd be so smarmy about it - and thus, a perfect addition to their ranks.

What would the definitive Homestuck ratfic be called, do you think? I think Tool-Assisted Speedrun would be a decent choice.

@killedthekat asked: An interesting thing about doomed timelines is how they serve to prevent stable loop metagaming. As a basic example, in a typical stable time loop scenario, if you observe yourself unharmed in the future, you can throw yourself into high danger high reward situations and know that probability will twist itself into whatever improbable knot it needs to do to keep you safe. But in homestuck if you lean too hard on predestination you just get shunted into a doomed timeline for your trouble.

It's true. Timehopping just isn't fun in Homestuck, as you're constantly walking a tightrope, desperately trying to stay in the one timeline that might not get you killed.

It's a good way to prevent time-travelers from becoming overpowered - something which is probably necessary for a comic which makes such heavy use of the concept.

Anonymous asked: Now that you're updating while HS^2 is, I've realised that while I'm barely keeping up with ^2, I just yelled "Oh! Upd8!" out loud when I checked your blog, so to me? You're the real continuation of Homestuck

What an honor!

For veterans of the comic, this blog is more Homestuck: Revisited than Homestuck 2. As a woman who would much rather watch video essays about old Simpsons episodes than new seasons of the show, I completely understand why some would prefer the latter.

@manorinthewoods asked: I've since finished Worm. I think Sophia's by far the best Vriska candidate. Lisa, Amy, and Colin are less so, I think. ~LOSS (21/4/24)

Oh, nice, you got all the way through it! Worm is an absolute behemoth, and I know a lot of people who started it, and gave up halfway through.

Sophia is likely the closest match to Vriska in personality. I agree with an earlier comment, though, that the most Vriska-like character in terms of audience reaction is probably Amy.

Anonymous asked: Cannot believe someone would propose a Homestuck/Locked Tomb scenario and leave Gamzee as part of a spare pairing, when the Homestuck fic The Serendipity Gospels, written by the author of The Locked Tomb, stars Gamzee and Terezi in the proto-necromancer/cavalier dynamic. Absolutely appropriate to have Gamzee as Ninth though, since his facepaint is the direct ancestor to Harrow's. Gamzee and Terezi is such a funny pairing to go with. I'm certainly looking forward to checking out The Serendipity Gospels when I'm done with the comic - both to compare it to Homestuck and to the Locked Tomb.

As am I. Apparently it was left unfinished - but considering how long this liveblog is taking, maybe Taz will have updated by the time I'm done!

Wishful thinking, of course, but I live in hope.

@bladekindeyewear submitted:

(I started Dragon's Dogma 2 a couple weeks ago and did my best to a Gideon Nav pawn (NPC ally), facepaint and two-hander and all, and the "Jaunty Straightforward" voice selection has been EXTREMELY distracting / game-improving because her voice and attitude chatting beside my player all the time sound almost straight out of the audiobook.)

Damn, you really captured her essence. Pawn is a very fitting title for her, too :(

@manorinthewoods asked: On the topic of blood color names - Blue through Purple were renamed in Hiveswap. Originally, Vriska was Cerulean, Equius was Blue, and Gamzee was Indigo - which I like more than their modern incarnations. I think 'bronze' might also be a Hiveswap thing, although I won't dispute it, and rust might have been renamed to burgundy? Maybe burgundy is a synonym. Idk. ~LOSS (4/13/24)

I think I prefer the likes of olive, indigo and bronze over more generic terms like green, blue and brown, which would quickly lead to confusion.

Vriska's blood, for example, is also a shade of blue, so it would be a little strange if blue blood was an official term, but it didn't apply to her.

@mxamericanblue asked:hi i have been absolutely BINGING your live blog rn and i gotta just get this out this is so so cool watching you react has been giving me so much joy, i don't have a computer so i can't really experience homestuck again casually when i want to but watching you read it and react and THEORIZE??? omg your theories have been so fuckin killer it's given me a new appreciation for Hussie as a story teller and how spectacular this comic truly was thank you for this, i've been having a grand ol' time, and it's all cuz of u

Thank you! I feel like I've been theorizing a lot less since I came back from my hiatus, mostly because the comic hasn't introduced many big mysteries recently - aside, of course, from Aradia's unexplained explosion.

(Pre-posting update: Since first drafting this ask, my statement above is no longer true, as Gamzee has been revealed as Homestuck's most important character. What the actual fuck.)

@lilietsblog asked: re fifth house aradia: she's an archeolodist :)

Oh, shit, you're right.

Maybe she'd be in more danger from the Lyctor than I thought.

@ben-guy asked: Vriska's ascension to god-tier is, in my personal opinion, one of the most visually striking scenes in all of Homestuck. Also, one of the panels you didn't include (which is understandable w/ Homestuck lol. Sacrifices for the sake of brevity) specifically the one where she has him write "[…] plenty of time for that l8r" above her head… Think about the position she would have had to move him to to write that.

…jesus, Vriska. You can't just do that!

@martinkhall asked: "What is treasure but a fortune, waiting to be found?" Or stolen if you're the THIEF of Light.

Son of a bitch. That's why she's a pirate, isn't it?

Because a Thief of Light is someone who steals fortunes!

@manorinthewoods asked: Eidolons. A species purpose-built to play Sburb, while breaking every mechanic you can solely with biology. Eidolons don't sleep, and live in a hive mind. Their psychologies are very poor at recognising distinct things, with Eidolons seeing the world more in terms of a blur of colors and shapes. They thus have a very difficult time understanding Classes and Aspects, never mind that their mythology never involved deities, and they never invented chess, or games of any sort… ~LOSS (15/4/24)

The idea of a species engineered from the ground up to be Players does raise the interesting question of whether there was a first species to play Sburb.

Of course, with all the time-loops we've been working with, there might not have been a first species - unless Sburb was 'created' in some sort of metatemporal space, 'before' any loops were put in place.

@manorinthewoods submitted: You are very good at analysing Vriska's psyche. Vriska's character was executed very well, I think, and I would hate her with a burning passion platonically but to a high degree if I knew her in real life. She's just… really horrible. She's a horrible person. And half her shtick is that she keeps evading consequences in spite of that. All of her mental torture of Tavros, for instance, ends in her becoming the most powerful player in the session. What sort of justice is that, Terezi? ~LOSS (15/4/24)

She hasn't entirely evaded consequences, but it's undeniable that none of the consequences she's experienced have actually stopped her from doing the things she does.

She's lost an arm, an eye, she's been beaten up, she's bled to death, and literally none of it has caused her to let up on Tavros, even a little. Letting up on Tavros, to her, would be worse than any physical harm, because it would be an attack on her worldview.

@sanctferum asked: "Has anything come of this since, actually? I haven’t heard anything about this new comic – although I do scroll in the opposite direction any time I see a reference to Homestuck, so I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t." - The general feel I've gotten from the community has been largely positive re: the new Homestuck 2 updates, which have indeed been happening. It's being updated once per month for now, so a lot slower going than non-hiatused OG Homestuck. But I'm enjoying it so far!

Once a month seems more sustainable than Hussie's original barely-believable pace for the comic. With Hussie no longer at the helm, expecting daily panels seems like a pretty big ask - most people don't have the time, money or energy do what Hussie did.

Anonymous asked: I don't know if you read UTDR fanfiction, but this Tavros and Vriska situation reminds me a little bit of Flowey Is Not A Good Life Coach. she's trying to push him to his limits and torture him into being someone who will kill, and he just won't. say, what's your read on comparing Flowey : Vriska?

Flowey does what he does because he's lost his emotions, but Vriska does what she does because she's consumed by her emotions.

If anything, Flowey has more in common with Aradia. They're both time-travelers whose ability to feel is somewhat compromised.

Anonymous asked: WHATTTTTT HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BACK???????? I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL ON A LONG ASS HIATUS BUT I JUST JOW DISCOVERED TUMBLR ISNT GIVING ME POST NOTIFICATIONS FOR YOU ANYMORE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE IT TURNED ON FOR YOU AND IT WORKS FOR OTHER BLOGS???? WHAT THE HELL. IM GOING INSANE.

This has happened before - but before, I was also removed from Tumblr's search function, which doesn't seem to be the case this time.

Is anyone else having issues with Wertsearch post notifications?

@elkian asked: So has anyone mentioned the godhood joke yet? (The God Tiers costumes have hoods. God Hoods. Badum-tish)

LOL, I did miss that.

Anonymous asked: Fun Homestuck fact! After writing Karkat, someone brought up that the writer of the 'Programming For [Expletive]s' book sounded a lot like Karkat. Andrew responded by telling them to imagine that it was actually written in all caps, basically canonizing that the 'Programming For [Expletive]s' book was written by Karkat. At least, I think that's how that went? ~LOSS (28/2/23)

And it could be any Karkat, too. Maybe one of the Karkats from a doomed timeline actually learned to code from Sollux, and became a famous ~ATH developer.

@morganwick asked: So with conversation 8=8 apparently taking place in the immediate aftermath of Rose destroying her gate (even technically during Descend), and Rose's attitude towards Kanaya in the part of it that we see, does that change how much you think her attitude in their previous conversations reflects her genuine mental state?

Oh yeah, no, I’m pretty sure she was genuinely in a bad mood here. Not really so much because of Kanaya, and I think the anger directed at Kanaya specifically was inauthentic, but the bad mood itself was real. She'd recently been injected with several months of traumatic memories, after all.

@manorinthewoods asked: That panel, of John in Vriska's 'fabulous outfit', is actually pretty neat, because you can see from the proportions how young John really is. He's small, not even fully a teenager yet, and he's been thrown into this chaotic world of humans and trolls, quadrants, violence and danger. Everyone in the game must be scared, in some degree, but none of them ever show it. It makes you wonder just how strong Skaia's children really are. ~LOSS (29/4/23)

Seriously. In what universe are 13-year-olds the people most qualified to make universes? Sburb has some very funny ideas about the optimal way it should be played.

I suppose this is something that had to be true, though, for Homestuck to be the coming-of-age story that Hussie wanted it to be.

Anonymous asked: My interpretation has always been that "the Blind Prophets" are actually just Terezi herself, in a time loop-y/predestined way. She's blind, her class is Seer, AKA prophet, and those are her numerals. Also, on an unrelated note, but to weigh in on your last ask, according to Latin conventions, the plural of lusus is lusus. Does Homestuck follow those conventions? Well…

Or, since there are two Seers in Homestuck, maybe they’re Terezi and Rose. She’s a Light Player, so a blinding would be suitably ironic.

Anonymous asked: re: captchalogue codes and the states of objects: it takes a relatively small change in the physical arrangement of atoms and whatnot to turn a ghost dad poster into, say, a little monsters poster, but the two have a relatively large difference between their conceptual nature. on the other hand, it would take a relatively large rearrangement of atoms to make the slime pogo ride be anything other than a slime pogo ride. perhaps this makes the former change state more easily than the latter? alternatively, maybe the captcha system just knows that all it would really take to make the slime pogo ride stop being covered in oil is soap and water and it's happy to do that on its own, but paper is harder to clean so it wants you to jump through more hoops for that one new question: if john had used his posters for alchemy before he was able to see their defacement, would the resultant objects also be beclowned? evidence seems to suggest that players with unawakened dream selves Will draw on their walls in their sleep and not see it until Ready, so there not being mechanisms in place to deal with that seems less likely than the alternative to me, but especially considering people who aren't them Can see the drawings, how??? would that even??? work??? what would've happened if john had done alchemy with the arms cake. i think it would be funny to see that

I think he’d still get the clown posters.

The kids keep accidentally making magic items, so It's clearly possible for someone to alchemize an object with properties they didn't foresee. Therefore, I think John would make what appears, to him, to be a normal poster - but Rose would still see it as it truly is.

Anonymous asked: any thoughts on what the horrorterrors are? beyond their (admittedly vague) intentions?

I think they’re a sign of the wider cosmology beyond Sburb - and, more specifically, a sign that there is a wider cosmology beyond Sburb.

I don't know if we'll necessarily get more expansion on them than we've already had, because their whole shtick is that they're unknowable. Needless to say, I'd love to be proven wrong.

[bluegalaxygirl]

Amnesia (KidKiller X Reader) P11

Plot: After an explosion reader wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the past few years, her parents want to take her home so she can recover and get back to a normal life while the Kid pirates want her back on the ship where she belongs.

Warning: Bad language, Medical stuff, family issues and Violence.

Reader is Female, Poly Relationship, established relationship, Kid X Reader X Killer, Reader is a member of the Kid pirates and is in charge of the money, Budgeting and negotiating the best price.

< Previous part ….. Next part >

You've been in and out for a while remembering several things even though your head hurts something trying to keep them locked away but as time goes on its almost as if what ever had a hold on you is losing its power letting your memories come back. It hurts less and less the more you remember and you should be happy about that but all you can feel is sadness, you were so happy in those memory's nothing like what your parents said happened, your starting to believe the pirates more but your parents and even the doctors are telling you that they kidnapped you. They could have held you for ransom later on, maybe you let slip who your family was after trusting them? Opening your eyes you look around the slightly dim room, its clear you've been out for a while but at least someone stayed by your side, your mother sits on the chair next to your bed her full attention on the book in her hands not noticing your eyes on her. Turning your head to the other side you see Kid leaning against the window looking out at the ocean, the setting sun perfectly highlighting his face almost taking your breath away. A twinge of pain in your shoulder forced you mind to snap back into reality, letting a groan escape your lips you try to push yourself to sit up. "Y/n, sweetie, are you ok?" Your mother asks putting down her book and reaching over to place a hand on your thigh as you sit up and move back a bit to let your back rest against the bed frame, nodding you taking her hand off your sore leg. "What happened?" You ask looking over to your mother but its Kid who answers you, still leaning against the window but his eyes now on you "You passed out, you good?" The red head asks looking you over with a straight face, he looks tired but there's also something else going on. "I'll get the doctor" Your mother quickly stands when you don't answer fast enough but you stop her from leaving by grabbing her hand "Wait, don't bother the doctor, i'm fine"

You wanted to say that your starting to not trust that doctor but you know she wouldn't believe you or tell you your being silly, with a sigh your mother turns to you and takes your hand off hers. "I'll get the nurse then, You missed your last round of meds so someone needs to check on you" Your mother gives you a small smile before leaving, you know its fake by the way her eyes glared at you, she just wanted you to do as your told. After watching her leave you wait until she's out of ear shot before turning to Kid who's still looking at you but has made no move to come near you, for some reason it makes your heart sink but you push that aside knowing there isn't much time to talk in privet. "I remember House, Heat and Wire-" You go to say more but the red head rushes to your side and grabs your chin with his fingers making you look right at him "What do you remember?" Your taken aback by his actions and wide eyes but you somehow know he's not going to hurt you and if he did it would be on accident. "I helped House with training and Heat was there, then there was some kind of ship wrack that i went into… Kinda stupid of me to do that but Heat was there and then when we go back to the ship Wire was there, he taught me how to fish." You try and recall as much as possible while the smile on Kid's face grows, his hand moves from your chin to your cheek cupping it as he lightly places his forehead against yours, as much as your body seems to want to relax into it instead you tense up unsure of what he's doing and why "That was still the first week we met. You were reckless back then, always going off and doing something stupid…. Now i know why, finally free." His voice was mainly a whisper as if he was thinking all of this and not meant to say it but it brought a tear to your eye.

Your shoulders relax almost in disbelief, Free, finally free, Is that what it really felt like to be free? "I leave for a few minutes and you already have your hands on her, what did i say?" Your mother yells walking into the room with the nurse following close behind, Kid groans and pulls away from you his hand sliding off your cheek as he stands up, a part of you wanted to grab onto him and pull him back but you manage to stop yourself from doing so. "I'm glad your awake, here are your meds" The nurse walks over to the bed and hands you a small paper cup of pills and a glass of water trying to ignore the glare your mother is giving the red head, looking into the cup you notice more of those blue pills making you nervous, did you have another seizure? no one mentioned it so maybe it wasn't but if so why more blue pills? "Something wrong?" The nurse asks with a concerned look, snapping out of your thoughts you shake your head deciding you can talk about this with House later since your too tired to deal with it now. After downing the pills you hand the glass of water and paper cup back to the nurse who nods and quickly takes her leave, a long awkward silence fills the air slowly making you feel very uneasy, Kid goes back to leaning against the wall looking out the window while your mother sits back on her chair glaring at the pirate. "So, I'm guessing i missed something while i was out" You state looking between the two sensing clear tension but also a sense of compromise between the two.

Kid sighs and nods as your mother huffs crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair "We finally came to an agreement, but i see someone hasn't been keeping up their end" Your mother glares at Kid who keeps his eyes focused on outside "Our agreement was that we wouldn't fight if you kept your comments to yourself" Kid spits out trying to control his anger as to not start a fight that might hurt you again, they didn't know what triggers your memories, but they hope to make it less painful for you by not adding loud arguing into the mix. Your Mother rolls her eyes when the red head doesn't continue, "And you and your pals won't touch her" Kid huffs letting a small smile show "Actually as Killer pointed out you specifically said 'You and your pals aren't aloud to touch my daughter while we're around', you weren't in the room, there for if she'll let me, I'll touch her" Your mothers face drops as you slap your hand over your mouth trying to control your laughter over Kid's impression of your mother. It was so perfect, from the wording to the hand gesture he made, your mother was about to get up and yell at the red head but you caught on before she could even make a move hoping ti distract her with something else "I know Fathers probably off working but where is Killer?" You ask the two managing to break your mother's angry gaze from Kid "Yes, he has some business to attend too but i'm here, so don't worry" You mother smiles talking about your farther while completely ignoring your question.

Luckily Kid was happy to fill in the rest, gesturing towards the window the red head smiles almost fondly "Kill, went back to the ship to check on the crew and make dinner for them all. He'll be back later tonight though, with some off your stuff" Your eyes light up at the thought of seeing what was yours on the ship, has your style changed? what books do you read? Do you have new hobbies? Do they have your glasses? A gasp leaves your lips before turning to Kid who lets out a laugh already knowing what your thinking "Yes Y/n, He'll bring you your glasses" His smirk alone made you smile more but you couldn't wait to wear glasses again since your parents said they couldn't find them, you know thats a lie, their either in the trash or left at home, your mother sighs leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest "I brought you contact's, just use those" Your smile didn't drop despite her words just happy that you can read while feeling comfortable, there are so many books in the room and now you'll be able to read them "They hurt her eyes" Kids quick to comment making your mother tense up, that glare back on her face but this time its much worse, turning to your mother you place your hand on her knee getting her to stop glaring at Kid and turn to you. "Mother, he's right, plus there's no harm in wearing glasses, i think they make me look smarter" You laugh trying to break up the moment in hopes it'll calm everyone down but your smile drops when your mother leans closer to you her anger now directed at you making you lean away from her a little.

That smile you hate forms on her face, it looks so loving and caring yet her eyes burns into yours as her hands grip into fists, pulling your hand way from her your body tenses up making your movement a little jagged, you know she won't hurt you in front of someone but you know if you continue then later on, when no ones around it'll be a different story, she knows where to point her comments and what to comment on and if all else fails you know she'll turn to more drastic measures. "I'm telling you, sweetie, glasses aren't good for you, they'll mess up your perfect nose" Your heart sinks in your chest making you gulp in response, a part of you wants to tell her to shut up and that she can't control you anymore, that your nose will be fine but you push that feeling away instead looking down at your lap in defeat. Kid growls his hand clutching onto his coat in anger, he was trying to hold back but couldn't anymore not when you reacted like that, he could tell your parents are controlling but this was different. "Will you shut up, Y/N's been wearing glasses for years and her nose is fine" He argues taking his eyes off the window to glare at your mother who looks up at him in slight shock still not used to being talk to like that. You look up at Kid secretly pleading with your eyes for him to stop, as much as you enjoy him and Killer standing up for you now is not the time, you know once they leave she'll take out her anger on your by yelling and screaming, maybe even grabbing your injured legs just to put you in your place but Kid was too focused on your mother to notice. "Unlike you, Pirate.. i have my daughters best interest in mind, she has a beautiful face and i don't want it ruined, they'll dent her nose and bring her score down" She scowls with her head held high.

Shock hits you making you want to cry, tears peaking out the side of your eyes but you can't, you won't cry, not in front of people especially not your mother, you hoped she would have changed over the years you've been gone, but she hasn't, she still thinks of the contests and your looks, not who you are as a person, clenching your fists on your lap you look down at them trying to hold back the tears feeling your chest tighten from her words. Your still just a pretty face to your mother, it hurts more than you thought it would, you've spent years dealing with this so why does it still hurt so bad, your injured, in pain and lost your memories at, yet she still only cares about your looks. Kid has no idea what your mothers on about but seeing your look of sadness and knowing your holding back tears from her words make him see red, storming over to the bed the captain placing his hand on it lean over to glare at your mother. You look up due the sudden action only now noticing his metal arm is gone but it doesn't distract you from the fight your literally in the middle of. "Fuck you lady, If you haven't noticed Y/N looks fucking hot when she wears glasses" Your cheeks go bright red as your eyes widen in shock, you've never been called that as far as you can remember but it brings you so much joy, normally you hate people commenting on your looks and your body but you've never been called hot before, its always beautiful, pretty ect. Heat forms in your chest as a strange fluttering feeling flows through your stomach making you feel a little ill yet there's a need for more, What does this feeling mean?

Your head starts to feel fuzzy but you can't take your eyes off Kid despite the pain starting to from behind your eyes. "How dare you speck to me like th-" She's interrupted by the red head his hand gripping the sheets of the bed trying not to lash out at anything around him, only for your sake, he hopes you get your memories back soon, so he can bring down this place. "I'll talk to you however i want especially when you belittle her in front of me" The captain's voice is low but full of anger, he's trying not to raise his voice as not to hurt you but at the moment your in a trance, unable to take your eyes off him even though the pain is starting to spread from your eyes to your head. "Belittle? That's a big word for you pirate, and she's not your girl, she's my daughter and i know what's best" Your mother leans forward her anger getting the batter of her. "Yea? Well, My girl tough me that word because she has a brain, she can think for herself, she's not stupid like you make her out to be, She's a fucking smart ass " Your heart warms at his words, it's been a long time since someone has called you smart but calling you smart ass triggers something in your head, it hurts but the images are more clear than normal, it still feels like something is trying to stop the memory from coming back but it doesn't seem to have much of a hold. The two continue to argue back and forth but their voices start fading in and out, Kids eyes widen seeing your eyes going glossy again and places a hand on your cheek getting you to look up at him "Hay stay with me" He commends as your mother yanks his hand off your cheek "Get your hands off her" she yells sitting on the bed and taking your head in her hands, everything around you goes blurry as the memory finally pushes through.

----- Memory -----

You've dusted the cabinets, mopped the deck and was just finishing up cleaning the windows when you notice a room full of messy papers scattered all over a wooden desk and floor. Wiping the window on the door clean you can't help but let curiosity get the better of you so you open the door and step in able to see more mess than the window allowed, there are no files or books keeping everything togeather just pieces of paper of all different shapes, sizes and shades of white scattered all over the room. Looking them over you soon realize that their all to do with money, some are recites, some are details of treasure they've collected and the rest are what they have spent. It's no organisation to it, there are recites placed together but almost a year apart, and they weren't even from the same place or for the same object. With a sigh you knew this needs sorting but you can't just start messing with things without the captain's permission, then again he seemed like a prideful man and would probably yell at you for even stepping foot in this room. On the other hand his first mate and friend, Killer seems to be able to talk some sense into him and calm him down much better than anyone else on the ship so maybe you should talk to him first. After leaving the room you finish cleaning the windows before heading to the kitchen where you knew the masked man will be, it's a few hours before dinner but you know by now that the first mate likes to take his time when cooking and preparing meals for the crew.

Stepping into the kitchen you can't help but smile and smell the air, his cooking is amazing and something you will dearly miss when you have to leave "Smells good" You call out letting him know your there as you go to put the cleaning supply's away, he gives you a hum keeping focused on the large piece of meat he's expertly carving up. You walk up to the kitchen and lean on the counter close to the first mate but not close enough to be in his way, Killer always has his mask on no matter what he's doing, it doesn't bother you but some times you want to know what he's thinking or feeling when ever you were around, you can't tell if he's annoyed at your presence or just didn't care. "I've finished everything but i was wondering if i could help out with something else" You state not sure of how your going to go about asking, yes Killer seems more level-headed then Captain Kid but that doesn't mean he doesn't have out burst of anger too, you've seen it before and scarier then when Kid gets angry which is saying something. "I don't need your help, i can cook fine on my own" Killer finally speaks making you stand up straight at his commanding yet deadpan voice "oh no, i didn't mean with the cooking, when i was cleaning i came across a room full of scared recites and stuff… I was hoping i could sort it all out for you guys" you smile at him hoping you didn't offend him by asking, the masked man stops chopping and turns his head to look at you "And what would you want in return?" his voice sounds slightly angry but you try to ignore it.

Leaning your back against the counter you cross your arms over your chest "Honestly a good nights sleep. After seeing that mess i'm gonna have nightmares until its sorted… might also need therapy" you jokingly say but there was some seriousness to it, it's going to be something you can't stop thinking about and knowing the way you are you will lose sleep over it until its done. Killer suddenly turns his head away from you his shoulders starting to shake while has hand grips the counter top, you raise an eyebrow at him wondering if he's ok, but he suddenly starts laughing. Its quiet at first but it soon gets louder and you can't help but stare at him in aw, you've never heard anything like it but its so beautiful, it makes your head feel fuzzy and your chest feel light. The masked man soon manages to compose himself and look back over at you seeing your slightly wide eye'd yet star stuck expression, his hand grips the knife tightly causing it to ask and you can feel his eyes burning into your soul with an intense anger but you ignore it instead focusing on how your chest flutters and how your ears beg to hear more. "You have an amazing laugh" you whisper not sure if you should say it or not but there was serenity in your voice, a small smile soon grows on your face, Killer's shoulders relax as his grip on the knife loosening "I'd like to hear it more" you say a little louder without thinking, its like your mind forced it out of your mouth in hopes to hear it again.

Killer looks away from you and down at the cut up meat "I'll let you sort it but you'll do it in here and you let me check your work when ever i want, even if your in the middle of working something out" He states making you smile more and nod, "Awesome, I'll grab my stuff and the papers then bring in here, ok?" He gives you a nod letting you run out of the room to grab your stuff, after picking up a few things from your room you head over to grab all the paperwork, going through some draws in the desk you find way more but you manage to carry all of them back to the kitchen/dining room. Pushing the door open with your foot since your hands are full you have to feel around with your leg to find the dinning table since you can't see over the large stack of papers your currently balancing. Once you find the table you put them down along with bag of stuff that you start taking things out of. Killer turns to look at you putting his knife down and wiping his hands on a towel as you take your reading glasses out of your case and slip them on. "I'll be done before Dinner, i promise" You give the man a smile as he nods at you watching as you sit down and start to work, he watches for a while seeing you put papers in different piles while writing on a spare piece of paper, once in a while you would type on your calculator seeming to check if something was right or not. The masked man turns back to cooking feeling confident that you'll finish before dinner with how fast your going.

An hour and a half later your done, everything is in the right piles and in order of dates, some of the numbers where off on the old stuff but the newer stuff was correct, the only problem you did have was with someones short hand but you managed to decipher it in the end. Killer once in a while would look over your shoulder and pull a piece of paper away to look at it but you just let him do what he wanted even if you were working on it. You stretch your arms over your head and let out a relaxed sigh knowing you'll sleep well now all this is done "Despite the mess you guys have done a good job keeping track of things, although if you move some money around you'll be saving more in the end" You state once Killer has placed some stuff into the oven, he turns to you and walks over pulling out the chair across from you and sitting down "What do you mean?" He asks sounding kind of interested, it excites you since not many people want to hear how, they just demand you do it and save them the trouble, leaning forward you grab a fresh piece of paper and draw a pie chart "Well the best way to go about things is to follow the 50, 30, 20 rule where you spend 50% on essential needs like flue, repairs for the ship, food and medical supplies. 30% is spent on things you want like eating out or going to bars and then 20% is savings, put money to the side so over time it builds up, you can then use that for emergency's or something important. At the moment you guys are doing 50% on wants and 45% on needs which leaves 5% on savings, at this rate you'll run out of money for things you need." Killer nods along while looking at your work "So if we follow this rule we'll save more?" he questions while pulling the paper closer to him, so he can read over all your work.

You shrug a little, it's a good rule but at the end of the day these guys are pirates, they'll steal what they want when they want and most likely won't follow any budget but there's no harm in trying "Sort of, the crew is small so i recommend that for the moment you can do 40, 30, 30 as the crew grows you'll have to change it up to the original rule, it's a lot of numbers and math i know but with this you'll always have money left over if you need it… Oh! and i didn't add the treasure into all that since i honestly don't know how much a gold crown goes for" You laugh a little hoping you didn't over complicate things "Thank you, this will help a lot" Killer suddenly says while standing up and gripping the piece of paper you did all your work on "I'll let Kid know and see what he says, don't be scared if he comes barging in to ask a load of questions…. When the timer goes off turn the heat off" The masked man states before walking out of the kitchen, you nod staying in your seat even after he leaves, a smile grows on your face as your cheeks turns a little red. Its not often you get thanked for your work, even when you had to do your families taxes for a year after their accountant quit you never once got a thank you or a well done. It's the only time they wanted your smarts but when the new accounted came along it was back to the same old routine and you realized then, that there was no pleasing them unless it had to do with your looks.

A few minutes went by until there are loud voices coming from outside, they weren't shouting or angry just loudly discussing something until the kitchen door slams open. Kid and Killer both became quiet as they enter the room, the piece of paper the masked man took was clenched in the captains hand as he makes his way over to you. Your heart sank in your chest at his deadpan look unsure of what he was thinking, you've seen him lash out before and you don't want that to happen to you. Your eyes flicked to the door which Killer was leaning against his arms crossed over his chest "How the hell do you know all this?" Kids voice brings you back to him, looking up at the red haired man you gulp still not sure if he's angry or not "I-I urm… i went to a lot of business and math lectures and urm… Did people taxes and stuff" You stutter not wanting to give away too much of your past and who your family is, Kid chuckles a little before placing the piece of paper on the table making you raise an eyebrow "Looks like we have a smart ass on the ship… You've saved me all the hassle of doing it myself, if your not careful i might have to keep you around, your starting to impress me with your smarts, pip squeak" Kid grins down at you as Killer moves away from the door to check his food seeing that the situation as become more relaxed. You let out a breath you didn't realize was stick in your throat as the captain takes a seat across form you "So Smart ass, tell me how to make money" he grins leaning back in his chair while crossing his arms over his chest.